Filius Tenebris
by abgrn29
Summary: Severus' life sucks-no really, it does. Until Tom Riddle shows up and offers him a job, heals him and gives him a place to stay etc. All this would be fine if spying on Albus-bloody-Dumbledore wasn't said job. It would have been a nice, simple working arrangement, no messy emotions involved. But we know better. Nothing in the life of Severus Snape is ever nice and simple.
1. Chapter 1

Severus Snape stormed up the stairs, slamming the door so hard a curved shape crack appeared in the door. He cupped his hand to the waterfall of blood pumping out of his lip. Damn his muggle father. Damn him to hell. He flopped onto his bed ignoring the loud creak and also the rumble in his stomach. His ribs were still bruised too, after Potters recent solo prank. He sneered. Idiotic morons. He wondered how offended Potter would be if he knew a drunk muggle could hit harder then him. Dear Merlin how he hated the man. Severus was so lost in fantasies of just how his father was going to die he didn't notice the black robed figure step from the shadows into his room .

Severus jumped and automatically went for a wand that wasn't there .No, it was in the cupboard with the rest of his school things. His father had seen to that.''Who are you?'' snarled Severus, inching closer to the window. The man pulled down his hood, uncovering his face. His skin was a pale milky white and his high cheekbones made his cheeks look so sunken they were almost hollow. But it was his eyes that stuck were blue and ice cold, boring into his soul. ''Tom''. His voice was silky like a ribbon .''Tom Riddle. You are Severus Snape ,yes?''

''What do you want with me? How did you get in here?'' Severus asked, his fists clenched ready to fight even though he knew it would do no good. His daily beatings from his father were testimony to that. Riddle chuckled, seeing his fists ''I mean you no harm. I have come with a job offer.''

''What makes you think I'll say yes ?'' Severus raised his eyebrows

''I will pay you very handsomely in galleons or muggle money whichever you wish, both if you like. Enough to get you comfortably out of here.''

''What's the catch ?'' Severus asked.

''My, you are a cynical little Slytherin aren't you ?'' Riddle smirked.

"Just answer the damn question.''

"I need somebody watched."

''Fine '' Severus spat. He didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. But the thought of leaving before he was 17 was too appealing to pass up. "Who is it?"

"Hmmm you don't need to know that just yet." A sly smile curled up the strangers lips and Severus shivered.

"And just how do you propose I spy on someone without knowing who they are?"

"I'll be in touch."

"Great. That really helps, thanks a lot, sir." Severus had never been more terrified in his life, but he took comfort in throwing biting words at Riddle.

Riddle just raised an eyebrow ''The floo address is Riddle Manor'. With that he stepped back and the shadows swirled and consumed him, leaving Severus to his own thoughts. Suddenly he heard the door slam and his father's drunken slur ''Get down here boy''

Severus sighed and crouched down the stairs to meet his father.

''So '' Tobias sneered. '' I see nobody from that freakish school of yours bothered to write to you, than boy ''

''I have Lily you stupid muggle.'' Severus

Tobias didn't know what a muggle was but he knew it was an insult so he snarled and flung a backhand at his son knocking him to the ground. He flung a vicious kick into Severus' ribs while Severus pressed his lips tightly together but could not altogether stifle the cry that came from his lips. Severus covered his head as his father rained down punches and kicks. He thought 'Safe, safe, safe, need to get safe' to himself desperately; out of the blue he thought 'Riddle Manor' and the world shimmered before it went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus groaned and pressed his hand to his ribs and froze, feeling the scratchy fabric of the bandage through his old shirt. His father never bandaged him, ever. Severus blocked out the panic and looked around, forcing himself to breathe. Tom Riddle was sitting on a stool opposite the plush couch Severus was on, smirking at him.

''WHAT?'' Severus yelled.''What ? Where am I ?''

Riddle said softly '' Calm down child, you're in Riddle Manor. You appeared inside my wards. As for how you got there, well, I was hoping you could tell me that.''

''B-but I don't know how I got here. I was wishing for a safe place and … '' Severus trailed off. Riddle narrowed his eyes and looked Severus up and down.

''Hmmm it must have been some pretty powerful underage magic to be able to apparate past wards as strong as mine. What happened that you needed to go somewhere safe?''

Severus snapped ''I just did. It's really none of your business .''

Riddle raised an eyebrow. ''No ? So you appear outside my house and I heal you and you're telling me its none of my business. Hmmmm''.

Severus closed his eyes and when he opened them again Tom Riddle was standing over him with his hand raised. Severus flinched and burrowed his head into his knees.

''No please, I'm sorry please .''

''It's ok. '' Tom soothed him gently. ''It's alright, you're ok.'' Tom reached out to Severus but he flinched away. Tom knelt down , looked Severus straight in the eyes and said

''Severus you will not be punished for using magic here, do you understand?''. Severus nodded quickly '' Yes sir. Sorry sir.''

Tom sighed. '' Alright then let's get you something to eat.''

''Sir…..'' Severus asked hesitantly ''When are you going to send me back to my father ?'' Tom made up his mind there and then. '' No you are staying here with me, It will be much easier for you to work here and much more convenient for me. ''

Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He nodded numbly. Tom drawled ''A verbal answer please."

Severus swallowed ''I'd like that very much sir.''

Tom smiled,unbelievably he was fond of the child already.

When they reached a dining room that could rival Hogwarts great hall, Severus saw there was food already prepared and sat down nervously not entirely sure if he was allowed to eat. As Tom began piling food on his plate, he glanced at Severus and snapped ''Well, I'm not feeding you, come on, boy .''

At the last word Severus flinched and Tom decided to ignore it until the boys stomach growled desperately, clearly Severus hadn't eaten much, if anything in the past few days.

''Eat'' he tried desperately to contain his fury, he didn't want Severus to think he was angry at him. ''Then we will go over some rules .''


	3. Chapter 3

Severus swallowed the last of his dinner and looked at Tom nervously as he began to talk. This was Riddles territory, he couldn't snipe and snark here. He just had to keep his head down and not disobey any rules. Thankfully Tom was kind enough to lay them out for him.

"The first thing we should get out of the way is the details of your employment. I will pay 2000 Galleons at the end of summer, and monthly wage of 500 into a Gringotts account for you."

He didn't get any further before Severus had all the pieces connected-he thought-and took a shaky deep breath. "Albus Dumbledore. You want me to spy on Albus Dumbledore? How did you even-"

"Lucius Malfoy was all too happy to recommend you in his stead-I am hoping you will be better at it than he is."

Severus was going to skin the blonde-haired prat.

Ignoring the alarm bells that screamed out all the consequences should he get caught he nodded, appearing relatively calm.

"The other rules sir?"

Tom was impressed. Severus had regained his composure quickly, gone was the trembling shaking mess and instead he was looking at a Slytherin, ready to deal with the devil.

"I expect you to have respect- clean up after yourself, do not cheek me and do not lie to me. I will not stand for that."

"Yes sir."

Absentmindedly Severus wondered how high on the Death Eater food chain the man was if he was confident enough to insult a Malfoy and take charge of Severus in such a way. He stood and followed the man to the sitting room, absorbing every detail of the manor and mapping immediate escape routes and such on the way. When Tom sat in the chair closest to the fire Severus stayed standing hovering near the door. He knew this man was dangerous, it radiated off him in a way that reminded Severus of someone-Dumbledore maybe. He had just decided to think on it more when Tom snapped "Sit down Severus, you'll give me a headache."

"Sorry sir." He slunk into the seat opposite Riddle and waited for the man to say something, anything before the silence suffocated him. Resisting the urge to pull at the collar of his now blood-free shirt he allowed himself to subtly scratch at the weathered skin on his thumb, scarred and thick from years of anxiety-brought abuse.

"Whats the first thing you'll do when you come of age Severus?" What? What the hell?

"Hadn't expected to live that long." The words slipped from his mouth in his shock and he winced.

"Oh?" There was no pity or judgement in that tiny word and he scowled.

"I'm sorry sir."

"For what? You have committed no crime. Your father should never treat you like that."

Oh really? He hadn't noticed. Who did this man think he was?


	4. Chapter 4

Severus took a deep breath. ''Why do you care? I don't mean to be rude sir but if Dumbledore the 'Leader of the bloody light' doesn't care about me than why the hell should you?''

Tom thought about it for a moment. How did he explain his life choices to a teenager ? But he heard himself say anyway

'' My childhood was much like yours only I was an orphan and mistreated by the caretakers there. I told Dumbledore year after year when I attended Hogwarts and he told me that ' a little disagreement was nothing to shed tears over'. I showed him my scars. But he sent me back to that hellhole anyway .So naturally I hate the very air he breathes.''

Severus smirked to himself. Did the man think he was thick? He was crafty though Severus had to give him that, he told the half truth or a bit of a long story . Smart. He was surprised by the hate though. The only person rumoured to hate Dumbledore was ... no! Why was it always him? Who had he killed in a previous life to deserve so much drama in this life?

''Not many others do My Lord.''

Tom raised an eyebrow. The boy was smart , immediately catching his half lie aswell, he noticed.

''Do you have a problem with that, child?''

Severus shook his head ''No sir... well except ..can I ask- what are your goals regarding muggleborns?''

'' I only wish to stop them changing old Pureblood traditions , take Yule for example. Due to muggleborn influence we now celebrate Christmas. And perhaps educate them in Wizarding ways before entering our world . Not kill them all like Dumbledore would have many believe.''

''Oh '' Severus relaxed completely, but was completely caught off guard by the mans next question.

''So it's your turn now. Tell about your life.''

Severus swallowed nervously. ''Em.. well ...you see... my father hates me . He used to be better when my mother was alive but she died when I was ten. He used to hit her a lot and me when I reied to defend her. He likes to use his belt a lot aswell.'' Severus' lip twisted into a bitter smile. Well The Dark Lord wanted details...

'' Used to call me a freak too, he wouldn't let me eat, told me freaks didn't deserve food. But it got worse when my mom died''

''How did she die?'' Tom asked gently

''He killed her sir. Slit her throat like her life meant nothing, he made me burn her body . It smelt worse than I had ever neighbours thought it was a Halloween bonfire. And he laughed too.''

Tom stood up and did something very uncharacteristic of him . He wrapped his arms around the teens slim, malnourished form layered with scars , physical and emotional. He rose from the chair and offered the teen his hand . Severus looked at him curiously with red rimmed eyes but followed him out of the room none the less. Tom led him to the library and walked through what was probably the worlds biggest room full of shelves of books. But Tom strode through all these to the book-covered wall at the back of the library. He stood back and hissed " _Open chamber of the greatest founder_."

Severus' brow wrinkled in confusion. 'Greatest founder?' Oh great, he spoke snake. He was even more of a freak now.

Tom blinked in shock '' You understood me ?''

There was no point in hiding it, Severus sighed. ''Yes sir."

Tom felt sick, grief twisting at his insides. There hadn't been another parslemouth since... No he would not dwell on him. Them. They were gone. But this required some digging. Severus was rather powerful, the muggle blood in him restoring some of the Prince family magic, he reckoned. It was possible their families had been interlinked at some point in history. Still...it was odd.

But to Severus he just nodded and motioned for the boy to follow him down a long winding corridor. What Severus found was a duelling room, possibly the most amazing one he'd ever seen. ''Wow'' he breathed.

''Would you like to practice?'' Tom inquired

'Severus nodded eagerly. ''Yes sir . Yes please.''

He wasn't anywhere near good enough to duel in front of the Dark Lord but maybe the man would give him some tips when he started casting spells on the dummies.

He turned to target-lined wall, wand in hand until Tom cleared his throat sharply. Whirling back around, his eyes widened as Tom bowed and held his wand up for a duel.

"My—my Lord?"

"You can throw the first spell. Impress me."

He lost of course. Epically. But it was the most fun, the biggest challenge he'd had in such a long time, he didn't care. When Tom led him up to what was to be his bedroom he lay down on the nicest bed he'd ever laid eyes upon within a fancy room that had many nooks, crannies and secrets and promptly fell asleep, wand in hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Life in Riddle Manor settled down some and Severus fell into a routine. One thing was clear though Tom Riddle, when researched, did it very, very thoroughly. He knew everything from Severus' eating habits (which he deemed unacceptable for a growing teenager but had made sure to reiterate that he was not to blame.), his sleeping habits-or rather his non-sleeping habits-his grades and capabilities and of course his loathing of all things Potter (and Lupin ). He also knew far more about the inner workings of Severus' mind than Severus would care for anyone to know. Even and especially Lily. Stupid Malfoy. Stupid Slughorn.

Severus loved this new life of his but he was careful. Very careful. If he let his guard down even for a second that was it. Doomsday. He was eternally grateful to Slughorn for suggesting Occlumency for it enabled him to lock up that little spark of hope he felt every time Tom praised him after he got a spell right or sent him one of those half smile/smirks that meant he was pleased with Severus in some way. The feeling those smiles initiated allowed him to feel a warmth he hadn't felt since his mothers hugs. Even Lily, his proverbial light at the end of the crappy tunnel that was his life, seen masks, seen the Severus she wanted. He was good at that. Potter seen a victim, a piece of fresh meat, his teachers seen a smart, quiet boy socially awkward and shy and his father…..he was his fathers worthless, waste of space, freakish, punching bag.

And therein was where the problem lay. He didn't know what The Dark Lord wanted him to be. A spy obviously but not yet, not here. The horrible idea and most plausible solution was that he was a charity case sent a bitter, cold ,twisted, sick thing into his stomach and he couldn't fix it. He couldn't fling up a mask for that, couldn't laugh, sneer or shrug it off. There was no mold to fit into here and now despite the rules in place to give him comfort (that's all they were there for, he knew, he wasn't stupid. Riddle couldn't care less what he did) he lived in constant fear of being hit or cursed or Crucioed for an unknown transgression.

''Severus….dinner.''

Dear Merlin the man made yelling graceful. Severus honestly couldn't count the amount of times he had gotten his ass handed to him during his training. It was embarrassing really. Clearly he was not up to the standard he had thought himself to be at and that…that was just not acceptable.

''Coming sir''

He leaped down the steps in twos and skidded in to the dining room only to have Tom hand him a letter.

''I do believe you little friend –Lily was it ?-has written to you. After dinner'' He added when Severus reached to slide up the flap. Severus scowled lightly but sat and ate under Toms watchful…well not glare but he was by no means getting away with eating all sugar either. Retiring to the sitting room as they did every evening Severus settled himself into the armchair closest to the fire and curled his legs up underneath him to open Lily's letter. Scanning the contents (and wincing, by Merlin the girl could lecture) he looked hesitantly looked up at Tom and coughed.

''Um sir….Uh Lily asked uh well I was wondering if there was anyway for me to see her ..shes worried about me, see,and I, uh.'' He trailed off hoping Tom would catch on to the unasked question of how much he could say as Tom held up a hand, his book lying abandoned in his lap.

''Reply and tell her that you will meet her in Diagon Alley next week. Feel free to tell her about the manor and your time here but perhaps mentioning that you are residing with The Dark Lord and spying may not be the best news to send in a letter." Ah, fear of interception, fair enough.

''Yes sir'' Summoning parchment and an inked quill, he quilled his reply to Lily, mindful of Toms words and hoping Lily wouldn't hate him when she found out (that girl was tenacious she would find out) and sent it off out the owlery window.


	6. Chapter 6

CHP. 6  
Severus stepped out of the portkey area of the Leaky Cauldron nervously, looking around for a flaming curtain of red hair only to have it (and the rest of Lily) barrel into him at hurricane speed.  
''Sev' my goodness how are you? Oh you look much healthier, you have me so curious your letter was so cryptic you paranoid Slytherin you.'' She poked in his not-so-skinny-anymore ribs, tickling his side as he bat at her hands.  
''Away with you ,you menace!''  
She giggled while an ignored Tom looked on amused until she spotted him and gasped.  
''Oh ''She curtsied ''Good morning sir, how do you do.?''  
He inclined his head to her. At least some of them had manners. ''Good morning to you aswell Ms. Evans. Shall we depart?''

Putting his hand on Severus' shoulder to guide him out the odd trio left the Leaky Cauldron, heading for Flourish and Blotts. Severus stopped suddenly almost crashing into a bookshelf and reached into his cloak, hands searching for his money pouch. He reckoned he had just enough for his books but the potions ingredients and robes he'd wanted…..Biting his lip his put back down the books on inventing and spell craft sadly only to have them snatched back up by Tom who murmured ''I'll take it out of your wages if you so insist.. Believe me,child, purchasing knowledge is never charity '', knowing very well that Severus was too proud to accept anything he saw as pity.  
Severus swallowed. ''Thank you, My-sir''

Lily elbowed him 'subtly' ''Soooo,'' She waggled her eyebrows at him while he raised his.  
''Yes?''  
''Spill! By Merlin Sev' I didn't hear from you in weeks , next you're living with some big shot pureblood-''  
''Employer.'' He cut her off, wanting to say it, get it out in the open.  
Her oval face crinkled in confusion. ''What?''  
Severus swallowed nervously. ''He's giving me a job Lily. With the money I could-I could move out officially.''  
She beamed at him ''That's great Sev. But..'' She frowned. ''He treats you ok doesn't he?''  
Severus smirked. The Dark Lord treated one of his lesser, young followers just fine. Better than fine actually. He gave a short laugh.  
''He does Lils honest''  
''Alright then.'' She eyed her big brother suspiciously but let it go. Tom stood behind them and gently cleared his throat.  
''Perhaps you two would like to go to Madame Malkins ? I have an errand of my own to run. I expect to see you both at Missy's café at one, understood?''  
''Yessir'' Both teenagers chorused and ran off arm-in-arm.

''Okay, okay but what about Susan ,she was always my favourite character?'' Lily laughed at 12;45 as they strolled up Diagon Alley.  
''Nah too stuffy'' Sev replied as Lily put her hands on her hips in response. ''Well who then?''  
Severus' body language completely softened as he said ''Lucy. She reminded me of you. Brave, loyal curious, fun..'' he grinned , compliment moment over as he finished ''and the annoying little sister that wouldn't go away''  
''Oi''  
Lily shoved him and accidentally sent him flying into another passerby of the busy streets of Diagon Alley before gasping and frantically helping him up.  
''Oh Sev I'm so sor-Potter! What do you want you egotistical prat?''  
''Come on a date with me Lily-flower'' The bespectacled, messy-haired boy suggested arrogantly, brushing himself off in disgust as though he feared he'd catch something from Severus.  
''And ditch Snivellus here.I can show you a better time'' He winked in a supposedly appealing way while Severus gagged in equal disgust. He didn't even swing that way for Gods sake.  
Potter continued to spew self-approving slime (with Pettigrew nodding along behind and Lupin shuffling awkwardly) while Lily's hand curled slowly into a fist only stopped by Blacks interruption of ''James please. I have a curfew, I really can't be late again. ''  
''Fine Pads we're going.'' He sneered at Severus. ''Watch your back you , slimy Slytherin …when I'm prefect.-''  
''Change the record Potter.'' Severus said irritably as Potter and his cronies walked away.

Black stood for a second longer and stared at Severus before opening his mouth only to close it again and walking away head bowed in defeat. Severus was sure he heard a guilty 'sorry' as the other boy passed but wasn't holding his breath.  
''C'mon'' he sighed to Lily ''Let's go meet Tom.''.

Meanwhile, while they ate a rather pleasant lunch, James Charlus Potter was ranting to his father and the Headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Pretentious-Middle-Names-Dumbledore.  
''Ugh you should've seen him ,sir all over poor Lily like a creep. It's so unfair she's with him, all the stupid Slytherins tricking poor innocent people to get their way.''  
''I know, my dear boy, you just continue showing Slytherins like them examples of Gryffindor bravery ,that's all you can do lad.'' Albus soothed. Especially that Snape boy. He was one to watch. The power from such powerful parents would no doubt make him an obvious threat and his background too…Yes those with the bigger potential to be evil ,all the Slyherins needed to be monitored closely too stop the horrific spread of Dark Magic so that Voldemort would be easier defeated and everyone would continue to listen to him, The Great Albus Dumbledore, and the magical world would be nicely shaped to his standards. Yes. He nodded , pretending to listen to James' pathetic whining. The way it should be.


	7. Chapter 7

Severus crouched near the cracked open door to the darkened hall, seeing an assembly of people in flowing black robes and several holding masks-Death Eaters. Knowing and seeing Tom was the Dark Lord were two very different things. This was further cemented not a minute later when the screaming started. He froze watching transfixed in horror as Lucius Malfoy writhed and screamed in agony.  
Severus gasped and flung himself back to the side of the wall , eyes blown wide open, legs shaking and mouth dry. Tom had told him he'd never be beaten but the seed of fear was planted. Suddenly sounds snapped to his ears-the Death Eaters were moving to leave- and Severus jumped up to leapt up to his room. Sitting on his bed he pressed his palms to his eyes and rubbed suddenly feeling exhausted. Tom had been so kind to him but seeing him actually torture Lucius, someone not too much older than Severus himself had shaken him.  
"Discover anything interesting today Severus?" Tom was leaning casually against the door, looking for all the world like he'd been there for hours.  
"I-I-I I'm sorry sir..I-I just I was just-"  
"Curious? Yes that much is obvious. Relax child. Consider it practice." He smirked and turned to leave before adding  
"Oh and Severus?". Severus swallowed and clenched his eyes shut."Y-yes sir?"  
"Next time, it would do you well not to get caught. Don't forget about dinner, you still need to eat more." With that he waltzed down the stairs leaving Severus poorly hiding his shock as he collapsed back on his bed as hysterical laugh bubbled up inside of him. He hadn't been Crucieod or cursed or hit at all, not even scolded. He grinned in joy and snatched the spellcraft book off his locker and propped it open to read until dinner.

They were throwing spells back and forth, getting even more intense as the ducking and dodging increased and, with only a few weeks left to go before Hogwarts started up, Severus had been putting many an hour into training, growing closer to Tom in the progress. When he had first slipped up and called Tom by his first name (he thought of The Dark Lord as Tom in his head he was bound to slip up sometime but that didn't make the terrifying silence any better) Tom had paused and then nodded his head in answer to the question like nothing had happened. He had "eavesdropped" on a few more Death Eater meetings and Tom had begun to bounce ideas off of him on the odd occasion. After a tentative suggestion of Severus' Tom had moved more of his people into the political fields or had them push for promotions at work in order to whisper rumors and plant seeds of doubt in Dumbledore. It was slow progress and occasionally made Tom frustrated as he could not enter the political world himself only direct the play his men were acting in.  
Unfortunately (or fortunately as practical training goes) Tom expressed some of that frustration through their duelling but was always careful enough to exercise enough caution to not hurt Severus, who was well able to handle himself. He wasn't by any means good enough to take on the Dark Lord but Tom reckoned he could give several of the Death Eaters a run for their money. And, on occasion, he had fun copying Toms wand movements and using the newly learned spells against him. This was one such occasion but, unlike previous times, Severus was not prepared for the force of the spell and sailed backwards into the harsh wall of the training room with a bludgeoning crack to his skull.  
"Severus! Merlin are you alright?"  
Severus whined a little feeling the dizziness swarming him, seeing the ceiling fade in and out, and trying to blink away tears from the shock and pain that caught him off guard.  
'Stupid, stupid.' He scolded himself. Not having constant injuries from his father and Moron Marauders had made him slip. He was learning so much from Tom including defensive spells and he was getting better at not letting spells hit him so this one was a complete shock to the system.  
"Severus, look at me, focus, focus on my voice now. You need to tell me where hurts."  
"Tom...h-head and wrist. Aahh." He jumped as Tom felt for any bruising at the back of his head.  
"You might have a concussion, child I need to check, alright? I'm just going to cast the diagnosis spell now, don't move for me a minute. Good lad."  
He waved his wand in the twisted pattern, thankful for his brief 6th year curiosity in healing. The paper chucked from his wand, reams and reams of it. Tom lowered his head. The normal record on a teen was said to be much, much less. He sighed and resigned himself to a long, painful read as he absentmindedly healed the injuries pleased to see that there was no concussion ...this time. His eyebrows rose as he scanned up the pages and tried to keep his face blank for a dozing (and rightly so, he had worn the young man out today) Severus' sake. This spell was on Olde one, the closest a wizard could get to the Goblins scan and, as such, had every injury ever received.  
Tom reached the first page and became prepared to put it down as the top only held the birth details, parents name, date etc. But it was this very information that made him freeze. N-no. No it was...it was impossible. It ...it ..it couldn't be . Tom choked and looked at a startled Severus and whispered "Nikoloas." Before clutching the paper to his chest and throwing himself into his office, leaving a terrified Severus on the floor wondering what in Avalon he'd done wrong.  
\- Tom clenched his fist around the bottle of Jameson's Finest Irish Whiskey and stared at the paper blankly. His boy...his little baby boy. He'd thought for sure when The Order had attacked the hospital...Sobs racked his normally powerful frame and the bottle shook with it. When he'd found Emma's body and the ashes the healers confirmed to be a childs his world had just...collapsed. In fact he'd done nothing on the front of his cause, wallowing in grief, cursing and killing everything in sight. Not long after his right hand man and oldest and loyalist Knight Abraxas Malfoy had fallen to Dragon Pox and he just stopped caring. While his son, his little Nikoloas had suffered so much. Eileen Snape had been in the hospital at the same time of course and had given birth to a stillborn and was in intensive care for a while afterwards. He had never thought much about it, wouldn't even have known it except she had shared the ward with his Emma...he had wanted a private healer but Emma, forever stubborn had glared at him and readily informed him that just because he was a bigshot dark lord didn't mean she had to deal with stuffy pureblood sneering around her while she was pregnant.  
Now he'd failed her. Failed their beautiful boy over and over as he was bullied and taunted and teased yet still got back up. Resilient just like his parents. Tom gave a sad smile and then jumped before realising he had left his injured son on the floor of the cold training room. He yelled for his elves to summon Severus through his office, downed a sobering potion and ran a hand through his tousled hair before pacing three lengths of the wide office floor and flinging himself back into his chair just in time for Severus' sharp rap on the door.  
"C'mon in N-Severus." He cursed. Severus-the lads name was Severus it was what he had grown up hearing what his birth name was meant nothing to the 15-year-old.  
Severus walked in and swallowed determined to speak his piece. "Tom...about earlier..well I've found the spell and-"  
"No no this is not about earlier, you did well but-" He sighed, surveying his son in a new light.  
"Sit down dear child. We have...something to discuss. Are you-are you happy here Severus? Honesty please."  
"I am, Tom really." Severus frowned, a little confused than added. " I mean I'd love if Lily could come over sometime but.."  
"Good good. Errrrrr." He combed through his hair and then decided "Right. I Tom Marvolo Riddle swear on Lady Magic herself that what I am about to say is what I know with near certainty to be the truth and is not said with the intent to harm in any way"  
"T-Tom...what-"  
"Please please just listen. My wife gave birth to our son Nikoloas Adrian Riddle on the 10th of January 1960. Not soon after Dumbledore discovered this and he and his band of merry men attacked the ward in which she..and Eileen Prince were staying." He slid the paper across the desk and watched the shock flood Severus' face.  
"Why would you-stop..please. It hurts...please don't" Severus began to shake and sob and Tom dropped to his and edged towards his son and cradled him in his arms surprised at the lack of resistance.  
"I am telling you the truth Severus and frankly, I have enjoyed knowing you regardless of this information, you are an amazing young man and if-" He swallowed "If you'd prefer we could continue on without it?"  
Severus look at him eyes wide and betrayed. "You-you don't want me? I knew it. Worthlessworthlessworthlessfreak." He mumbled and chanted and Tom hurried to reassure him.  
"I do oh Severus I –I do so much. I am willing to try being a father if you would give me a chance to do better by you." He paused and said "If you'd like I will open the wards and ask Lily if she'd like to come over?" Severus smiled unsurely knowing that Lily would help him work out the emotional turmoil he felt..but who would help Tom?  
"W-Will you be ok?" Severus asked hesitantly and Tom smiled in reply.  
"I will. I don't expect this to immediately work, we will try it and see. Just know that nothing will change, rules and expectations will be the same."  
They untangled themselves from the floor and parted ways.


	8. Chapter 8

Lily gaped at him and then blinked. Then blinked again.

"Sev…..Sev….Oh Merlin I don't know what to say. Ha I suppose I should call you Nikoloas now huh? I think I like it….Nick."

Severus didn't even appear to have heard her as he paced frantically back and forth, nibbling at the skin on his thumb. Lily looked at him sadly and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Talk to me Sev. What is it that's bothering you so much?" He looked at her forever solemn black eyes round and wet.

"He just….he said he didn't know but…Lily what….what if-"

"He didn't." Lily nodded firmly. "Even if it's hard to wrap your head around this now, I could tell just by looking at him that he cares for you. Now that you are officially his son…..Severus he'd move Hell, Heaven and Purgatory for you. Believe me. I can tell. He would never let you suffer needlessly."

He looked at her confused. "But…why? I mean why bother himself with me? He- he said he wants-" He swallowed "Lily Tom said he wants to be my father and I-and I…." He grimaced and buried his head in his hands.

"How does that make you feel Sev?"

"It's….nice."

"So what is this really about?" Lily pressed him gently knowing she would get nothing but a frustrated and emotionally overwrought Severus if she didn't.

He scratched at his thumb and Lily yanked it out of his grip and squeezed his shoulder murmuring "I'm here for you Sev. Always."

"Idon'tknowifIcanbeagoodson." After taking a minute to decipher this she nodded slowly. "I'm sure Tom feels the same about being a father and from what you've told me in your letters he seems to be doing a good job of it without meaning to. It's something you're both going to have to learn together. It'll take time and there'll be bumps along the way but…if you both really want to be a family it will come through and you can make it work Sev I know you can. Trust me, ok?"

He gave her a watery smile which she returned with more confidence and a tight hug.

"Soooo speaking of other things I got an owl from Black." Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Saying what may I ask?"

"That he's sorry for playing a part in all of Potters pigheaded pranks."

"Of all the things I'd expect an apology is not one of them." Severus mused.

"Yeah. Me too. I half thought it was hexed. He also asked me to pass this onto you." She pulled a thick envelope from her bag and gently pushed it into his hands.

"Read it. You know, he can be a bit of a jerk but I really don't think he's a bad guy you know?"

"I'll believe it when I see it Lils." She rolled her eyes and they chatted about inconsequential things-mainly books, muggle and magical-until the sun had set, curling around the edge of the manor grounds in warm hug. Severus basked in the effulgent colours of the sun, knowing he couldn't put off talking to Tom forever. But…how does one have a normal relationship with ones father when said father is a Dark Lord with no visible emotions? Severus was determined to find out. And if it worked…..maybe he'd write a book .It would original that's for sure. Sniggering to himself he padded softly to the library hoping to find Tom in there. When he did, he did a double take at his immediate success, in a manor this big he could look for hours and never see hide nor hair of his father. Merlin that was odd, thinking of The Dark Lord as his father but….he didn't find it unsettling simply unusual.

He opened his mouth to say something before realising he had no idea what he wanted to say. Luckily Tom saved him the trouble by noticing him at that very moment and calling "Niko-Ah my apologies Severus it may take me some time to correct myself. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in any way."

"You didn't!" Severus blurted before he could stop himself. Shyer this time he whispered "You can call me Nikoloas if you want, I like it better than Severus anyways." He shrugged and stepped a little further into the room that had quickly become his sanctuary in the manor.

"You don't have to-"

"I know. I wouldn't if I didn't want to."

Tom gave him a small smile and scooted over on one of the many plush couches dotted between the hundreds of shelves encompassing the large room.

"Is everything alright? Or did you just want to be in my glorious presence?" Tom asked, sticking his nose in the air smugly making Severus laugh and easing the awkwardness in the air. Severus wondered though…could he, dare he ask Tom about the letter from Black? He always had good advice regarding most things, though this was a little more personal….

"You know I will help you if I can. What is it Nikoloas?" His birth name fell from Toms lips so easily Severus' breath caught for just a second and his lips quirked upwards as he handed the letter over.

"It's from Black. He apologised to Lily but…."

"You are not so forgiving." Toms eyes were sharp, easily picking up on his hesitation.

"Hogwarts was my escape, all I could think about when I was little was just surviving 'till Hogwarts, to learn the magic to heal myself. And Potter and his cronies…they took that away from me. Lessened the joy just a bit, turned a place I had counted on to be a safe haven into another Lions Den." He snorted. "Literally. And that…..that I don't know if I can forgive."

Tom nodded curtly, struggling to contain his own flurry of emotions. Severus added quickly, misinterpreting what he was reading off of Tom "I can handle them I just…" He sighed.

"Wish you didn't have to. Of course. Why don't you see what he has to say? He probably does not expect forgiveness merely wishes for it, for his own peace of mind."

Severus nodded and slid his thumb under the envelope and unfolded the parchment carefully.

 _Snape,_

 _I don't know if Evans will even give this to you, but if she does I hope you read it and don't just burn it right off the bat. But if you did I wouldn't blame you, I've been a right prat, an asshole in fact, to both you and Evans and you probably wouldn't believe me if I said I was sorry. But I am. Really. No joke. I've….I've done a lot of growing up lately and some of the stuff James says started to sound just stupid, especially the dung he spews about Slytherins. I mean my baby brother Reggie is a Slytherin and he isn't evil or slimy and I suppose you aren't either. James is just jealous because he thinks you're monopolizing Evans. I just wanted a friend so badly I went along with whatever he thought was a good idea and it was fun for a while until he started planning some pretty messed up stuff that he wanted to while he was Prefect._

 _What he did to you, or managed to when he actually hit you, was wrong. I see that now. I'm writing this for your forgiveness or absolution or whatever. I just want us to pass in the corridors and not hex each other or duel. I'm not asking to be friends, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for any part I had in James' behaviour._

 _Sirius Orion Black_

Severus put the letter down and began to gnaw on his thumb again until Tom took it out of his mouth similar to the way Lily had and raised an eyebrow.

"Well?" He prompted.

"He's actually sorry. I think he's realised what a twat Potter is." Severus murmured, brow furrowed as another tidal wave of emotions crashed down on him as it always did when Potter was brought.

"You don't have to forgive him right away Nikoloas, these things take time. I'm sure Black understands that." He patted his son on the back somewhat awkwardly and settled back into the chair.

"You can ask me any questions you might have about you or your mother if you ever wish to know." His voice had gone quite, softer than usual and Severus responded "Could you tell me about my mother? What-what was she like?"

Tom smiled, a true genuine smile though his eyes seemed sad. "Your mother was the most stubborn witch I've ever met…."


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry guys I was away the whole month of April but read and comment, feedback really helps me. Thaaaaaannnks.

The rest of summer flew by and after a few conversations Tom and Severus had stopped acting like the most awkward of teenagers and had a semblance of normality considering their relationship and now as Severus boarded the Hogwarts Express, a supportive Lily was firmly attached to his side as always. A heavily glamoured Tom smiled in farewell from the back of the station and for once Severus felt a pang of sorrow stepping on the gleaming red train. Lily smirked at him in a triumphant little way and rolled his eyes and muttered

"Yeah, yeah you told me so I know."

" 'Course he's here, he's missing you already I bet." Severus blushed as they sidled into the last empty compartment with a sigh of relief. Their peace didn't last long as soon after the train rolled out of the station a sheepish-looking Sirius Black rapped on their compartment window and Lily beckoned him in before Severus could go and tell him to shove off.

He stood in the entrance, rocking back on his heels slightly as the silence grew awkward. After a time he scratched the back of his head ruefully and said "Hey?"

"Hullo Sirius."

"Black." Sirius seemed to take the curt greeting as an invitation and sidled in beside Lily.

"So, how was your summer?"

Just when Severus' eyebrows couldn't raise any higher, the messy haired pureblood held up his hands in a surrender-like gesture.

"OK, OK I'm sorry I was a prat for four years?"

Severus and Lily shared secret, quick smiles before folding their arms in unison.

"And..?" Lily asked stiffly as her eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Is that it?" Severus wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Wha-bu-I-Uh.." Sirius floundered beginning to look a little pale. "Aw whaddo I gotta do to make it up to you guys?" He whined.

"Here now Black I thought you liked pranks." Severus smirked, resting his hands behind his head.

Sirius broke out in bark-like laughs and when he calmed down and wiped his eyes he grinned and stated "This is going to be fun."

They were half-way through their 7th game of Exploding Snap when the door was flung open and in sauntered James Potter, his cronies never far behind.

"Pads! There you are! Come on, I'll deal with Evans myself." He waggled his eyebrows at Lily who gagged in disgust and took out her wand, copying Severus whose fir wand was already clutched in his palm and inclining towards Potter. Sirius stood. "Get out Potter. When I said I was done with you I meant it!"

"Yeah, yeah very funny." He pushed passed Sirius and, ignoring Lupins weak protests- the werewolf could see Severus' face he knew it wasn't going to end well- leaned into kiss Lily, going to move his hands all over her.

He didn't get very far. With a well aimed kick through his legs and hex to his head Potter fell and scrambled back howling.

"You little bitch!" He turned on Severus and ran at him, missing and stumbling into a seat. "You did this you-"

He was swiftly cut off as Sirius swung a right hook and knocked him clean off his feet before Severus could get to him-much to the Slytherins displeasure. He ran off down the corridor yelling "Dumbledore will have you all expelled for this." With Lupin and Pettigrew snivelling after him.

As his footsteps tapered off Lily looked at the boys worriedly. "What if he does expel us? You know he favours Pothead. I mean T-our parents can't come they're muggles."

Sirius shook his head. "Don't worry Lily my parents hate Charlus Potter they wouldn't let that happen. Honest. Besides you and Sevvie are too smart to get expelled."

"Wha- Black you insolent fool do not call me by such a ridiculous name."

"Whatever you say Sevvie."

Lilys worry was constant throughout the sorting and the feast and it wasn't for nothing as McGonagall pulled the trio aside on their way out the doors.

"The Headmaster would like to see you all." She spoke curtly glancing at Severus with disdain, not pleased her lions had befriended such a dark Slytherin. Lily gripped Severus' hand as they walked towards the gargoyle and, by the time they reached the twirled ascending stairs, his fingers were an odd blue colour. Standing in the knick-knack scattered office were two very different sets of people. Orion and Walburga Black stood, the picture of cool and calm, facing an irate Charlus and Dorea Potter.

"Albus! I demand you expel the little cretins who attacked my poor boy. Beating him up for no good re-"

"Actually sir Sirius and Severus were defending me from Potters unwanted attention."

"According to Hogwarts rulebook injury or threat of another student is liable for suspension-"

"Yes and you little brats-"

"Were defending ourselves. Potter attacked first."

Severus' voice was calm and even, his argument rational as the Lord and Lady Black nodded in agreement.

"Now now" Dumbledore soothed. "I'm sure if Severus and Lily just apologise to poor James this will all be resolved."

"Or I will charge you for assault." Lord Potter puffed up his chest imperiously.

Lord Black stepped forward and put a supportive hand on his eldest sons shoulder with a deadly smirk on his face.

"Oh please do Lord Potter. I'm sure Ragnok would love to assist my son and his friends in any legal proceedings you may pursue." Lord Potter paled, the Black family goblin were ruthless and everyone knew it.

"Very well." He snapped. "James son, you know you're better than all those cowardly dark wizards." "Clearly..."Lord Black gave a thin smile "he doesn't get that from you."

Dorea Potter dragged her husband through the floo before he physically leapt on the Black Lord. As the Potter heir stormed out in a huff with the Headmaster "escorting" him to his common room.

Lily turned and gave the Blacks a small curtsey. "Thank you for your help, sir, ma'am."

Walburga sniffed . "What an unruly boy that Potter boy. Do associate with better company this year Sirius. And make sure you study and look out for Regulus and-"

"Yes Mother."

He blushed as red as his Gryffindor robes when his parents fussed over him in their own formal way. With another curt nod they flooed back to their own manor and the teenagers exited the room, grinning each other mischievously.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

 _Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed and to PiffyEQ for your continued support it means a lot._ _J_ _Read and review please! Severus is going to be known as Nikoloas from now on because Lily is addressing him as such and I don't want there to be any confusion._

"C'mon Nick! Just one date. If you don't like him then I'll dump him for you pleeeaaase." Lily sighed as her best friend ignored her attempts to make him socialise and knew she'd have to resort to blackmail. Nikoloas having a caring father was really turning out to be very convenient. For him, of course.

"Nikoloas Adrian Riddle!" Nikoloas looked up from his book wearily and paled as he watched Lily put her hands on her hips only to freeze and stare behind him in horror.

Closing his eyes in defeat Nikoloas whirled around to see a thoughtful Sirius leaning against the doorframe and tapping his fingers on his chin.

"I remember a rumour going around at one of Mothers fancy-ass parties when I was...oh about 8 or so" he said casually "One lower death eater had been tortured within an inch of his life, poor fellow, all because he asked about the Prince. I asked Mother later who the Prince was- I hadn't really understood at the time you know- and all she gave me was the name "Nikoloas Adrian Riddle." Care to share Sevvie? Or Nikoloas rather."

"Black-" Nikloas stood up and took his wand from the table

"I'm not going to tell anyone. I'll swear a vow right here, right now. An Unbreakable one."

"Stupid reckless Gryffindors. Making vows willy-nilly I bet." Nikoloas grumbled, even as Lily glared at him and stood aside so the boys could face each other for the vow.

"I Sirius Orion Black of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black swear on my magic that I will never reveal the true identity of Nikoloas Adrian Riddle without his permission. So mote it be."

"So mote it be." Nikoloas murmured eyeing Sirius suspiciously.

"Look Nick- can I call you Nick, thanks,- I'm not going to betray you. As long you're happy that suits me fine."

"Alright." Nikoloas twisted the word in his mouth slowly before sighing and going back to his book as Sirius asked

"What were you fighting about anyway?"

"Well I'm trying to set Nick up with-"

"I immediately discourage this." Sirius face was only slightly teasing but his eyes flashed and he looked...jealous? Nikloas ignored it and the happy feeling that accompanied it before tuning back in to Sirius' dismissal of Lily's abysmal idea of setting him up with random people she thought would "help him be more sociable".

"Look Lily I'm sorry but you're just asking for disaster, any bloke who tries to hit on Nick is just gonna get his ego destroyed. Also did ever occur to you that he might just not want to date right now?"

For the first time in his life Severus was grateful to Sirius Black. As Sirius looked at him for reassurance that he wasn't talking nonsense, he nodded to confirm that the Black heir was indeed correct, he found all their year mates far too ignorant and ...well frankly just stupid if he was honest, for him to ever even consider any of them a relationship candidate. Lily gasped and flung herself at him in a bear hug.

"Oh Nick I'm so sorry I didn't even realise- oh I'm sorry I was so pushy. I thought you were just being well, you know,-"

"My usual antisocial self?" Nickoloas finished for her. She whacked him and he mock-groaned in pain which spawned an all out pillow-fight. It had not, Nikoloas mused as he scribbled his "detention work" on a piece of spare parchment, been the best idea to be found giggling in a pile of feathers in Lilys dorm while McGonagall was doing her evening rounds.

Beside him Sirius, who was still coughing up feathers, and Lily were both swamped in work and staring at the detention worksheets like they were Acromanultas and rolled his eyes before copying and handing over his answers. Receiving two "Thanks" in response he nodded and crept towards the door, where an agitated McGonagall was hissing something to Dumbledore. Freezing in horror when he heard the words "Riddle" and someone called Pike before McGonagall let out a relieved sigh at the mention of the "Order".

Nikoloas cursed, swiftly deducing that this Order were going to use Pike to get to his father. He needed to warn him. Now.


	11. Chapter 11

Nikoloas growled and paced back and forth, gnawing on his thumb.

"Is somethin' wrong Nick?" Sirius placed a hand on the younger boys shoulder and removed his hand sharply when Nikoloas flinched.

"I need to warn my father!" His dark eyes pleaded with them to understand and Lily suggested tentatively "Do you have time to owl him?"

He shook his head rapidly in frustration, "No I need something quicker, Floo him maybe but the only Floo Network is in-"

"Dumbledores office." Sirius finished for him. Unlike the others he looked incredibly excited and this and dug in his bag frantically.

" Oh I know it's in here somewhere!" Exclaiming in triumph he held up a battered piece of parchment while Lily and Nikoloas looked sceptical. Sirius smirked and said smugly "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Lily gaped as the halls of Hogwarts sprawled out over the Map and with it the names and dots of everyone in the school. Quickly zoning in on Dumbledores office he noticed it was empty and that Dumbledores name was, in fact, nowhere to be seen on the map.

"Go Nick. We'll help you." Lily grasped his hands before squeezing and the trio snuck out of the detention room before racing up to the Headmasters office, ducking into alcoves and abandoned classrooms to avoid the occasional patrolling teacher.

Standing in front of the gargoyle Nikoloas spat all the sweets names he could think of and was quickly loosing patience until

"Liquorice wands, Cockroach Clusters, Chocolate Frogs OH FOR MERLINS SAKE I'M THE SECONDARY HEIR OF SLYTHERIN JUST OPEN DAMNIT."

Slowly the gargoyle creaked open and Nikoloas and Lily bolted up the stairs while Sirius waited at the entrance. Darting to the Floo, he flung in a handful of powder and desperately yelled "Riddle Manor." Every second he waited for the floo to connect felt like eternity. Hurriedly hissing the emergency parseltounge password, Nikoloas heaved a sigh of relief when his fathers startled face bobbed in the green fire.

"Nikoloas! Are you alright?"

Squishing down the part of him that was pleased he was his father's first concern, he babbled "Father, Father is there someone named Pikes up for initiation?"

Glancing down Tom answered "Why yes he's on the list for... tonight's ceremony? Why?"

"He's a spy, Father please be careful." He pleaded urgently.

Tom snarled, how dare this Pikes imbecile try to betray him. He was The Dark Lord. No-one dared defy him.

"Thank you Nikoloas ." He smiled softly at his son before morphing his face into a stern expression and saying "Be careful, you hear me? And write."

"Yessir."

As the fire dissipated Nikoloas' shoulders sagged in relief but before he could relax Sirius hammered on the gargoyle before Dumbledore's voice reached their ears. Looking wildly around in panic Nikoloas grabbed Lily's arm and flung both of them into the fireplace. As they crouched into the ashes Nikoloas prayed Dumbledore didn't need to make a firecall.

When the old man settled in his chair he looked to be getting comfortable until a haggard-looking McGonagall burst into his office, strands of her greying hair spilling from her uptight bun.

"Albus, Albus one of those accursed Marauders set off a whole pack of dungbombs in the second corridor!"

As the frowning headmaster rushed from the room Nikoloas and Lily saw their chance and bolted out after the teachers and diving for the immediate corner on the left, colliding with an out of breath Sirius.

They trudged back to Nikoloas' dorm, him and Lily covered in ash. Sniggering quietly to himself as Nikolas stripped off his now-black shirt , Sirius put on his most charming of smiles and wrapped a lazy arm around Nikoloas' shoulder. Lifting up the shirt and shaking it he grinned "Hey, hey Nick I have something to ash you."

Rolling his eyes at the pun Nikoloas inquired politely "Oh?"

"Go out with me. To Hogsmeade. On a date. Please, I'm ashing you nicely?"

Nikoloas stepped out of his hold and turned around to face the other boy so they were nose to nose. He leaned closer ad whispered into Sirius' ear-while he grinned wider, thinking he had won- only to hear Nikoloas say "Ask me without the jokes Black, and then I'll maybe " he sniffed "consider."

Sirius stepped back like he'd been slapped. He was Sirius Black! Irresistible to all of Hogwarts. He'd never been turned down before and his ego wasn't dealing with it very well. Nonetheless he smiled a cocky grin.

"Alright, sweetheart, alright." He held up his hands in a surrender like gesture as Lily emerged from the steaming bathroom and looked back and forth before sighing and rubbing a towel over her bedraggled hair.


	12. Chapter 12

Sirius paced the small length of the hard polished wood floor from his bed to the wall and hummed in consideration. How did one begin to woo a person like Nikoloas Riddle?! He didn't know where to start. He could, Sirius supposed, go ask Nikoloas' father for courting permission but that involved going up to Lord Voldemort like "Yo, I know I made your son's life hell for years but I wanna date him anyway." Yeah that'd go down a treat.

"Padfoot" A delighted yell broke his concentration and Sirius closed his eyes in dismay.

"Fu-"

"C'mon Pads you wanna play some quidditch? You never hang out with us anymore!" Potter was pouting in Sirius' face and he really had to resist the urge to let his fist fly at the bespeckled boy.

"Are you thick, Potter? I don't want anything to do with you!" Sirius spat and brushed past him roughly, only to see a worried Remus and a snivelling Peter at the door.

"Move!" He snapped.

"It's okay Sirius. Snape must just have you under a compulsion or something." Remus spoke soothingly yet he lifted his wand slowly. Glaring at the werewolf and the coward, he took out his own wand and pointed it at both of them.

"No Lupin. I assure you he doesn't. I like him of my own free will!"

"Yeah but you don't like him like _that_ , do you?" Potter swung a lazy arm around Sirius' shoulders and he growled and shook it off. He was determined not to lose his temper, to prove to Nick he'd matured and grew out of his childish stupidity.

"Actually Potter I do. Not that that's any business of yours. I won't ask again. Move out of my way." His voice was low and growling just like his father's when he was debating in the Wizengmont as Lord Black. Pettigrew immediately scrambled backwards into a dresser, Lupin looked almost sad and went to reach out to him again but Pettigrew's cowardice had given Sirius the opening he needed and he strode out the door of his dorm and to the abandoned third floor classroom he and his friends had commandeered.

Hearing the footsteps of the Thick Trio galloping behind him he sped up and ducked into the dusty room just in time.

"Guys…" He panted looking at his startled friends. "We gotta find a better room and make it-" he coughed, inhaling dust particles "cooler and cleaner." As he lay on a table, the one Lily was sitting on, Nick settled into a straight-back chair that he had a complete view of the room and the door.

"I want a bat cave." Nikoloas said with a perfectly straight face. Lily rolled her eyes fondly, swinging her legs back and forth,and said "Sorry Nick don't think you're gonna find anywhere like that in an ancient castle."

The boy mock-pouted as Lily explained the concept of Batmans bat-cave to a very confused Sirius. "I'll ask my father when I write him next, or maybe at Christmas." Nikoloas offered, moving away to grab a sheet of parchment.

"Oooh yeah." Sirius grinned excitedly. "If anyone is gonna know a cool place in Hogwarts its the Supreme Dark Lord of Snakeys."

"I'm telling him you said that." Nikoloas chuckled and Sirius paled. "You can't! He'll kill me!"

Nikoloas tilted his head to the side thoughtfully and then shrugged "Probably."

As Sirius groaned at the thought of what Nick's father was going to do to him, an idea began to formulate in his brain. Ohhh he knew exactly what to get for Nikoloas. They weren't officially courting yet, that was true, but Sirius was determined to melt the igloo in which Nikoloas stored his heart. It was time to write his father.

"You're grinning like a lunatic, Black, what have you done?"

"Me?" Sirius smiled innocently. "Nothing, Nothing at all."

What would have been Nikloloas' doubtful reply was interrupted by the sight of Lucius Malfoy sauntering up the corridor in brand new purple governor robes that stood out amongst the black robes of now full corridor of students. "Snape!"

Nikoloas rolled his eyes "What do you want Malfoy?"

"I'd like you to run a little errand for me."

"What am I? Your lap dog? Screw you!"

"Oh I bet you would, you little faggot."

Gasps and whispers spread through the corridor and Nikoloas paled drastically.

Malfoy walked closer until he was nose-to-nose with an irate Nikoloas.

"You're going to do as I say-"

"-Or else what?" Nikoloas stuck his chin in the air, sheer stubbornness refusing to let im back down.

"Or else I'll tell Daddy-dearest his beloved little boy isn't ever going to bear him an heir. How...disappointing." Malfoy mocked.

Seeing his friend looked on the verge of a panic attack, Sirius stepped in. "I'd be happy to take Sevs place in this little deal of fuckery, 'cause don't get me wrong Malfoy, you got a great ass but…" He wrinkled his nose at Malfoy. "I'd be afraid of what I'd catch." As Malfoy turned purple in rage at Sirius' comment, he grabbed his friend and maneuvered through the gossiping crowds as Mary McDonald screamed "Sirius Black is GAY?"

"You're gay?" Nikoloas stared at him incredulously.

"Ye-up. About as straight as diagon alley."

Nikloas gave half a smile before frowning and burying his head in his hands.

"My father…..Siri…..what is my father going to say?"

"Look Nick I'm sure he's not gonna care, it's only the real old-fashioned purebloods like the Malfoys who don't believe in blood-adoption."

"The potion is dangerous." Nikoloas admitted.

Sirius elbowed him with a wink.

"If anyone can create a better one it'll be you Nick." Taking on a more serious note he faced Nikoloas.

"You have to tell him though."

Nikoloas shook his head and looked up at Sirius through his eyelashes.

"I-I-I can't."

"Why ever not?" As they reached their room a new voice spoke up. Lily shoved Sirius out of the way and enveloped Nikoloas in a warm, slightly crushing hug.

"Because-Because I just got him back. I don't- I don't want to see the way he'll look at me. I don't want to disappoint him." Nikoloas whispered into Lily's hair feeling a unhealthy amount of self-loathing.

"You won't. You never could. You're amazing Nick. Honest." Even as she spoke, Lily knew these words would have to come from Tom-many times-before Nikoloas even began to believe them. His self-esteem was so fragile, for all the masks he put up, he was more breakable than a glass vial.

"Look" Sirius cut in "You're going home for Christmas next week right? Just tell him face to face.I know its so hard but everythings going to be grand 'cause your dad is smart and i'm sure he'll see you as the same, great person you always were. Just now you're confiding more in him." He knew it was not going to be that easy, considering Nick's tendency to bottle things up until they crushed him, this fear had most likely been brewing a long time. Nonetheless he would encourage his bo-friend, his friend to do the hard (but necessary) thing.

Nick nodded. "Alright. I'll-I'll do it" He closed his eyes. It would be fine.

It was _not_ fine. It was very very much not fine. He walked over to his father, careful not any of his trepidation show. They had agreed to meet on the muggle side of the platform and Nikoloas had been grateful for the little bit of extra time that had given him. But now that time was up. Across the platform, Lily gave him a thumbs up from where she was smothered in her parents hold. Returning a weak smile, he took a deep breath and stood up straighter as he greeted his father formally. Tom returned the polite greeting with a proud smile and took his son's trunk. Within seconds they had apparated to the manor. Nikoloas' trunk was forgotten as Tom dropped it in the hall and greeted his son the way he had neglected to do in the station.

Nikoloas let out a muffled yelp as he was crushed to his father's chest and impatiently questioned. "How are you, son? It has been alarmingly lonely this past few months. I am in desperate need of a decent conversation. I know you've written but how am I supposed to check if you've eaten everyday-don't look at me like that, I know what you are like Nikoloas Adrian-have you been getting enough slee-"

"I missed you too Father."

"Tea?"

"Uhuh-I mean, yes sir." Nikoloas blushed as the all-too-familiar teenage slang slipped by his lips. He was spending far too much time with uncouth Gryffindor idiots. His blushed darkened when a large yawn followed this slip-up.

"I do hope being away hasn't affected your studies or your articulacy?" Tom teased, growing somber when his son took him seriously and tensed.

"N-no sir, I-I get all my homework done on time I swear but-"

"Nikoloas." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder to break him out of his surely growing panic. "Nikoloas. It's alright. I was merely joking with you. There is no harm in that. I do not mind in the slightest, I know you work hard."

The young man scratched at his scarred thumb. "Sorry Father." He mumbled.

Keeping a steady hand on his son's shoulder, Tom opened the living room door as the house-elves popped up their tea with a plate of cupcakes reading ' **Welcome Home Master Nikoloas'**. Taking a steaming cup of tea and a cake he giggled at the message and wriggled back into his usual seat as his father watched him amusedly.

"So how was your term? You wrote you were looking for place to stay ?"

"Yessir. Sirius found an abandoned classroom on his...map but it's proven to be somewhat inadequate"

' _Sirius is it now? Interesting'_ Tom thought even as he answered "Hmmm perhaps the Room of Requirement."

Nikoloas frowned. "I thought that was just a myth."

"Oh no it's quite real and incredibly useful." Tom assured him before hesitating a second.

"Father? What is it?"

"There is another place. You and Lily I trust but the Black heir…"

"Sirius is better now Father, he's matured a bit." Nikoloas didn't blush. He really didn't. Tom gave him a penetrating look.

"I'll trust your word Nikoloas. You may use the chamber of secrets."

Nikoloas grinned. "Really? Oh thank you Father, I promise we won't blow it up."

"Reassuring." Tom remarked dryly.

"Any other developments?" He inquired.

Nikoloas froze. "N-no. Nothing much. But um I've been watching Dumbledore on Sirius' map and there's been a lot of people coming and going through his office." He offered, hoping this would distract his father from him. It worked.

Tom sat up straighter immediately taking on his 'Lord Voldemort' persona.

"Can you give me names?"

"Yessir." Standing up with a new sense of urgency Nikoloas began to root out the secret compartment in which he kept the hidden piece of paper. Reading from the names he listed "

 **Benjy Fenwick**

 **Caradoc Dearborn**

 **Dedalus Diggle**

 **Dorcas Meadowes**

 **Edgar Bones**

 **Elphias Doge**

 **Emmeline Vance**

 **Gideon and Fabian Prewett**

 **Mundungus Fletcher**

 **Alastor Moody**

 **McGonagall**

Taking the list from his son, Tom gave him a wide smile and carded a fond hand through lengthening black hair.

"Thank you son, you have done well. I am proud of you." As Nikoloas floated to bed with a happy, dazed smile on his face Tom lit a large candle and settled into for a long night of research on the names of potential enemies his son had so happily gifted him.


	13. Chapter 13: Judgement

_Hi guys, thanks for reading. Please review it makes it makes writing much easier if I know people like it._  
 _Next chapter...Christmas/Yule. If anyone knows any simple Yule rituals etc. do let me know I'd love to include them._

Chapter Text

Padding down the stairs to Tom's office, Nikoloas continued to pick at the cut on his finger as he took a death breath to try to curb the anxiety curling in his stomach. His heart was beating with such intensity, he was surprised he wasn't jolting every time it thumped in his ears. Rapping his knuckles on the door, he pushed it open and slid in to stand in front of his father's desk.  
"Sit down son, are you alright?"  
"I-I-I'm sorry for interrupting you Father but-but" he took a deep breath and attempted to still his wringing hands.  
Tom put down his quill and gave his son his full attention much to Nikoloas' dismay.  
"Take your time, Nikoloas."  
"Father-Father I'm gay."  
There was silence for a for an eternal minute and Nikoloas was about to flee to his room to pack his things,wondering how someone's heart could beat so much without them passing out when Tom smiled at him softly.  
"I'm proud of you for telling me son. It was a very brave thing to do."  
Seeing how tense his son's body still was he took pale, long fingered hands in his and reassured him softly "It doesn't change anything, child. It doesn't change my opinion of you, I'm still so proud to call you my son."  
Nikoloas swallowed the rising lump in his throat. "Th-thank you Father."  
"You should know…" Tom paused and Nikoloas felt if he hadn't been a feared Dark Lord he'd be squirming, he was clearly uncomfortable with the emotion-charged conversation. "That there is nothing you could do that will ever change that."  
"Thank you Father." Nikoloas repeated hoarsely.  
"So how long have you known?"  
"Um s-since-" I got to know Sirius "the start of the year."  
"I see. May I ask what made you decide to tell me now? Did something happen?" he asked, his voice laced with concern  
Nikoloas bit his lip. That's what he got for trying to omit information when coming out to a dark lord.  
"Ummm…"  
"Nikoloas." His Father's voice took on a slightly darker, warning tone. "Tell me the full truth, Nikoloas. Omitting details does not count as honesty am I clear?"  
"Yessir well...uh L-Lucius tried to- um he wanted me to do things for him and when I said no he um heoutedmetothewholeschool."  
After taking a minute to process this Tom nodded slowly. "I see. He will pay dearly for that. But as for now…..how about some dinner?"  
"That'd be nice Father." Nikoloas gave him a shaky smile and got up to head to the dining room before Tom stopped him "How about we go out to eat for a change?"  
"O-out? Like-in a restaurant?"  
"Indeed. If you are amenable to such a suggestion?"  
He looked up at Tom through his eyelashes "I've never been to a restaurant before. What-what do you have to do?"  
"Nothing Nikoloas, nothing. Don't worry about it. Would you like to floo Sirius and ask him to meet you after? I will apparate to Lily's for you."  
"I'd like that a lot Father. B-but you don't have to-" Seeing how unsure Nikoloas was he answered simply:  
"I know." That was the end of the matter as Tom left to get his cloak while a very relieved Nick floo'ed Sirius.

As they strolled down the Alley, Nikoloas did his best to rid the lingering thoughts that his father would just abandon him there. This was quickly resolved when his father began to interrogate him on the different cuisines he'd tried and was quickly horrified by the sheer lack of cultural experiences his son had had.  
"Chinese I think we'll start with Chinese." Tom mumbled, leading Nikoloas to the food spot of Diagon Alley and into a skewered-away little restaurant sitting on the end of the street.

Quietly chatting to the staff Tom guided Nikoloas to a secluded little corner that he had arranged to have made private just for them and offered his son a menu. After 10 minutes of cluelessly blinking he had to admit defeat.  
"Do you have any idea what you'd like?" Tom inquired.  
"No sir. I'm a little out of my depth." Nikoloas confessed, feeling very overwhelmed.  
Tom chuckled and waved for a waiter. "Buffet and taste selection please."  
"Of course sir, can I get you any drinks?"  
"Old-Fashioned Bourbon and a Butterbeer please."

Much to Nikoloas' delight, the selection was extensive and he had almost two hours of sampling anything his father thought he would like which was most everything. Nibbling on a piece of chicken satay he grinned up at his father as the man placed yet another different spool of noodles onto his plate and snapped a prawn cracker in two.  
"What else would you like to try?"  
"There's more?" Nikoloas laughed as his father nodded perfectly serious. "Oh yes of course, try these."  
He added some funny looking battered things to his plate and he lifted one up between his fingers, feeling slightly suspicious.  
"Salt and chili prawn." Tom supplied helpfully.

As Nikoloas finished munching happily on the array of foods Tom checked his watch and stated "Nick if you want to meet your friends we had better pay soon."  
Nodding with a grin Nikoloas stood up and brushed golden crumbs from his robes with a flourish before falling into step with his father as they left the restaurant together.

They had just reached the leaky cauldron when Nikoloas stumbled backwards as the force of Lily crashed into him.  
"Hi." She gasped breathlessly, her cheeks and nose slightly pink from the cold.  
" 'Sup Nick?" Sirius was chuckling and rubbing his gloved hands together in a way that would have made Nikoloas very anxious in the past. But now, knowing the mischievous grin was not directed at him, he grinned back.

"Hey you two." Tom cleared his throat then, and said "I shall leave you in Lily's perfectly capable hands Nikoloas, go have fun." Handing Nikoloas a bag clearly bulging with Galleons and waving away his protests, Tom turned to Sirius menacingly.  
"Mr. Black and I need to have a little…..chat."  
Sirius gulped as a not-so-nice smile spread over the face of The Dark Lord.  
"So…..Mr. Black….." He fixed the young man with his most terrifying glare as they moved into a darkened alleyway and, to his credit, he only flinched a little.  
"You tormented my son for 5 years and, if I'm correct which I always am, you now wish to court him, no?"  
"H-h-how did you know that?" Sirius trembled but he held his ground. He wanted this, wanted Nikoloas. He was a Black and the Blacks always, always got what they wanted.  
"Please. I'm a Dark Lord. And his father, it was written all over your face. But my question to you is this, Sirius Black, why should I let you court my boy when for all I know it could be a prank, a scheme to hurt an already broken young man?"  
"It's not." Sirius cried desperately, "It's not I swear. I would never do anything to hurt Nikoloas, never!"  
"That's not what his medical records say." Tom responded coolly as Sirius blinked away ashamed tears.  
"I-I know. But it's changed now. I've changed. Nick is the most wonderful person I've ever met and I'd do anything to stay him. Even if he's serious about not wanting to date, that's fine, I'll take whatever I can get, I'll be his best friend, his brother 'till the end of time."  
"Alright."  
"B-what? R-really? You mean it? I can court him."  
Tom stared at the excited boy hard, unnerving him even more.  
"You may. But.." he leaned in so they were nose-to-nose and Sirius caught a glint of red flash in ice-blue eyes "If you hurt him I'll rip out your spine and use it to castrate you, am I clear?"  
"Crystal sir."  
"Excellent. Now…" he smiled broadly "Let's talk contract terms."

Bordering on half an hour later Sirius stumbled from the alley, pale and shaky. He wiped his sweaty palms on his robes and took a deep breath. That man was intense. But it was worth it. For Nikoloas.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hey guys, soooo it's August I know but...hey it's never too early for Xmas. Theres a ritual in the chapter marked by **** so you can skip it if you want, I really hope I have not offended anybody and it's not mine I took my information from**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **don't own it. Thank you to you all, Read and Comment Review feedback is nice etc.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

Nikoloas leaned against the doorframe of Flourish and Blotts, smiling slightly as Lily flittered about the shop disregarding books as quickly as she chose them. Eventually she stumbled over to him with a stack of books towering above her head. Nikoloas glanced at the books, not at all surprised by her choices. They ranged from old, yellowed spell-preserved tomes to newer volumes with theories on squibs and lineages, he smiled proudly.

A few years ago 11-year-old Lily was staunch in her rather close-minded beliefs, as most eleven year olds were, but he had fought and won many battles regarding "Good/Bad and Light/Dark." and persuaded her to try keep an open-mind and see that magic was just that-Magic. A tool to be used, no more than a knife, whether for preparing a man's dinner or slitting his throat.

"Nick I mean, are you sure?" She had delighted in picking out however many books she wanted as Nikoloas was insisting on paying. They normally just exchanged small gifts, keeping it sweet and simple but he had decided to lavish her in both their favourite thing-books.

He fixed her with a stern look and she was hard-pressed not to laugh. "Ye-es Lily, here go pay. You sure you don't want more?" He plucked the pile from her hands with ease and grace, both inherited and trained, and swapped them for his pouch of galleons.

"You're the best Nick, really."

He smiled at her charmingly. "But of course madame."

She giggled and paid for her books.

"Knockturn Alley then?"

She shuddered but nodded "Place gives me the creeps Nick."

Nikoloas smiled wryly "That's the idea Lily."

Lily huffed and rolled her eyes at him good naturedly.

As they surveyed the rows of shops Nikoloas was drowning in ideas of what he could possibly get his father. What did you get a man who was a Dark-Magic-Army-Wielding-Parseltounge-Speaking Dark Lord who had everything he wanted and enough money to buy anything else?

A mug with "Worlds OK-ist Dad" would perhaps not cut it, no matter how much the man liked his tea. As they passed an extremely shady-looking (as was every shop in the dingy alley)pet shop, Nikoloas' eyes widened just a fraction and he bolted inside.

Slipping in between cages of squealing and squawking animals, he knelt down at the cage of the first snake tank he saw, ignoring all the other hissed insults of snakes who thought he couldn't understand them.

" _Sssstupid two-legged human."_

" _Freee me humansssss."_

" _Bite, let me bite I am hungry."_

After a quick "Muffliato" he hissed:

" _Hello beauty. What issss your name?"_

" _Nagini, sssssspeaker. You will free me from this cage."_

Chuckling at the 'request' he gathered this snake would get along splendidly with his father.

After a quick explanation she-for Nagini was a she, he had asked, his knowledge of Hindi was only so-so -asked wearily

" _And your father is alsssso a ssspeaker?"_

" _Yessss, he will treat you well great lady I sssswear."_

" _Fine."_ She hissed somewhat snootily " _You may pick me up."_

Chuckling his thanks he did so, much to the alarm of the store clerk who said "Lad if you get bitten by that one, we have a no-claims policy-"

"I'm aware. I can read."

Grumbling, the stumpy man equipped him with all the things the long green snake would need and less grudgingly accepted his galleons. Calling an elf he handed the snake over to its tender care and hoped Nagini wouldn't eat anybody.

As they wound up back at Diagon, Lily mentioned that it was perhaps a good time to rescue Sirius from Tom's clutches.

"Father won't hurt him….I think." Nikoloas finished weakly.

"NIIIIIIIIIIICCCCK.." Aforementioned boy leapt 3 feet in the air as Sirius wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug, being surprisingly gentle and mindful of the flinch his intended gave.

"Please rescue me from your dad. He's really scary."

Grinning he patted Sirius mockingly on the head "There there. I'll protect you from the big bad Dark Lord."

"Bit late for that, son." Tom was sporting a snakelike grin and Nikoloas felt a smidge of pity amongst all the glee that rose up in him.

"Mmmm." Lily sniffed happily, looking dreamily at the smoke filled sky, laden with different cultural scents. "I love the food court of this place, reminds me of a carnival." When she received blank looks from the boys following this statement she gaped in horror.

"Seriously- _do not-"_ She pointed at a pun ready Sirius "none of you have ever been to a carnival?"

"I've been a little busy." Tom remarked dryly while Nikoloas shook his head and Sirius looked a little confused.

"Is that the one with the clowns or…"

Lily shook her head, thick red hair escaping from the scarf it had been tucked in. "Theres always one in Cornwall this time of year. I'll see if my dad will take us."

Catching the hidden look of yearning on his son's face Tom said smoothly "No need." He held out a hand to the teens, feeling he looked rather like a frazzled nanny trying watch unruly children, except he was a Dark Lord. And Dark Lords were never frazzled.

They spotted the flashing lights from 4 miles away, and if they hadn't, the screaming and yelling would have clued them in pretty quickly. Tom winced. He much preferred books to people. People were so loud and noisy and just generally….cursable. Books didn't talk back or over charge you for stupid pieces of paper to do other stupid things. He kept his scowling internal as he gave over the amount of muggle money he carried in case of emergencies. He couldn't complain, not when his little boy looked so happy dragging him- _him the Dark Lord-_ over to a muggle contraption called the Waltzer.

Despite spending his younger years in an orphanage he had never experienced one of these and barely restrained from yelping when it spun faster and faster, everything becoming a whirl and the only sound being the wind rushing to his ears until Nikoloas' delighted, carefree laughter reached him and made it just a little better. That is until Black decided to motion for the worker to spin it faster until it stopped and he could swear the little cretin was smirking at him. Stumbling off the ride he felt a little giddy and evidently so did Nikoloas judging by the way his boy was leaning on him almost drunkenly.

"Perhaps a walk…." he murmured, thankful when the young people agreed. While the mud squelched under their feet, Lily took great pleasure in animatedly pointing out all the different whirring machines that seemed to be out to blind him with all of their uncoordinated flashing colours.

"What is _that_ ?" Sirius was staring with child-like greed at a giant pink bundle of a soft, almost fluffy substance being handed to a child who seemed to go rabid upon inhaling the substance.

"Is it some sort of….drug?" Tom felt genuinely baffled, the dizziness preventing his brain working at its usual full capacity.

Lily tried and failed not to laugh at the green-faced Dark Lord before answering "Eh it's called candyfloss sir. And its just...sugar. A looooot of sugar."

Wincing at her exclamation and how soft he was going he asked "Nikoloas would you like some?"

"Umm-"

"Excellent." He strode over with a sense of purpose that seemed to alarm the sugarplum lady at the stall and demanded "Three of those...things."

"Please." Nikoloas piped up, at his elbow.

Glaring at him half-heartedly, he handed over the flat muggle note and waved away the change, he hardly had any use for more jingling coins in his cloak. He took the sticky paper cones and divided them out to cheers of delight. Tom tapped his fingers together, grimacing when his usual habit was derailed by wet sugar gluing his fingers together in a myriad of unhealthy chemicals.

They appeared to be headed in the direction of many dangling toys masquerading as animals and Tom barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the length this muggles would go to for cheap cash grabs.

"Wam sum'?" His attention was captured by Black grinning at him with a mouth full of candyfloss and offering up the diabeties-on-a-cone in his direction.

"No. Thank you but I rather like my heart working."

Shuddering a little he said "How do you work this contraption Ms Evans?", gesturing to the spinning animal seller.

"Oh you don't necessarily work it, sir. You win."

"Ah." A smile found its way onto his face and he grinned.

"I am quite good at winning."

"And bad at losing." Nikoloas muttered under his breath, smiling innocently at his raised eyebrows.

Sirius sniggered at a black dog stuffy and Tom sent a meaningful glance at Lily who caught on-Merlin bless that girl-and dragged Sirius away to a different stall with seemingly the same purpose.

"That one, son?"

"Yeah, reminds me of Siri. It can be his Christmas present."

Fishing out some coins he spilled them into Nikoloas' hand and patted him towards the pile of soft baseballs waiting to be thrown. After a couple of failed attempts Nikoloas turned to his father in defeat "Uh Father I'm err..this isn't going so well."

Seeing the smug smirk on the fat owners bristled face he stood behind his son and slipped his hand onto Nikoloas' shoulder. No muggle was going to cheat his son.

"Try again, Nick."When Nikoloas took his rather-well aimed shot Tom gave his fingers a little waggle, simply guiding the ball to the red rotating bullseye. He was never particularly athletic as a child, too starved and gangly to avoid hits and tackles but he was not stupid. Neither was his son evidently. Besides it wasn't cheating if you didn't caught.

Holding his hand out for the stuffed mutt, he sent a smug smile the owners way and father and son walked away, one toy dog richer.

Gathering the other two miscreants he deposited them home with a begrudging "Merry Christmas Eve" and "Happy Yule Orion, he did not cause me any trouble, you're fine", on his part. When they finally apparated home to his manor Nikoloas was swaying on his feet, but it was overshadowed by his gleaming eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Thank you, Father. So much. I had simply had the best time."

Tom couldn't stop the smile that slipped onto his face

"You are welcome, Nikoloas. I have meant to ask….would you like to do the Yule ritual with me tomorrow?"

"I'd be delighted to Father, the others have talked about it in the dorms but I've never partaken, just read about it."

"Good, good. Now the elves have put up a tree, would you like to-" he hesitated a little here unsure to how Nikoloas would respond "decorate it together?"

"Uhuh-yessir I'd love to."

Meandering to sitting room, Tom cursed his softness. The elves had really outdone themselves, he never had a Christian tradition tree for Merlins sake, for the green monstrosity barely fit into the room and evil looking pine needles poked out at every possible space just threatening to prod him.

As they began to put gaudy baubles on every available space of the damn plant Tom wondered why Nikoloas looked so hesitant until the boy asked quietly "Father, do you want me to- I mean- do these go anywhere in particular?"

Tom uncharacteristically shrugged.

"Put them anywhere they'll fit, Nick, don't worry."

With that the young man grinned at how...relaxed his father seemed and plopped decorations everywhere in sight until Tom ushered him up to bed, with a hand on his aching head.

After Nikoloas raced up the stairs in two, calling a second goodnight down to the Dark Lord, Tom sat in his favourite chair and immediately frowned as an insistent needle of tree poked his right shoulder. Twitching uncomfortably, he slashed his wand and the branch fell to the ground, dying as it did. Feeling smug and then wondering why, he had only conquered a tree after all, he ordered his head house-elf to bring him a brandy and, on a whim, a sample of candy floss aswell.

The morning of Yule dawned rather cold and crisp and Nikolas shivered slightly in his cloak as his father began the ritual preparation. Nikolas had it memorised and as such was easily able to follow.

' _Earth element in the North, the Air in the East, the Fire in the South, and the Water in the East.'_

His father lit the candle, mindful to not disturb the water, nor the bowl of soil from their garden, or the small evergreen pine.

He picked up the bowl of Dirt, and said "I am of this Earth, forever linked to the Gods." and drew a pentacle in the dirt. Replacing it with the Incense, drawing a pentacle in front of him with it Tom said, "This is the breath of the Gods, which gives me life."

Picking up the candle , "This is the Flame that warms our heart, just as the love of the Goddess and the God warms our souls.

Last, he picked the bowl of Water up, and

Spoke so calm and clear, "And this the ever-changing waters and nourishes life, without which we would not be."

He than held up beads that belonged to his mother and said "This is my gift to you, for you have given many gifts to me. This symbolizes my pledge to you. And for my Emma who I adore and treasure in memory each day."

Tom took up the Earth again, saying, "Thank you for watching over my rite."

As his father finished off the ritual Nikoloas moved towards the tree, surprised to find more presents than Nagini under the tree.

Tom settled down beside him and Nikoloas crossed his ankles and scooted backwards to make room.

Tom faced him with a serious expression "Nikoloas you come of age soon and it is time to consider courting contracts."

 _No. Of Merlin. Nonono._ Nikoloas did not want to be stuck in a loveless marriage with some wench he would be forced to procreate with….. but for his father's approval he managed to choke out a normal sounding "Yes sir."

Tom sighed, he could hear the palpitating of Nikoloas' heart from where he sat.

"Nikoloas son…..just read it."

Looking at his son's shaking hands unfolding the thick parchment, Tom was filled with dismay. Even with a decision regarding his life, his son, his strong baby boy, was so desperate for his approval he would not tell him No. They were not as far along as he had thought. He would not expect his son to push many years of tearing abuse away as he had. He would not let his son repress his pain like his fool of a father. Albus Dumbledore would never learn it seemed. That was 2 children he knew of now, Nick and himself, that had gone crying for a savior and been dismissed.

Nikoloas gasped as he read the name on the contract and than burst into teary relieved laughter. "Sirius?! Father! S-Sirius? R-Really?"

"Well he came asking me and I'm not blind, that boy cares for you and you him soo" he waved his hands.

"H-He does?"

"Indeed. Nick you got a Gryffindor to grovel to The Dark Lord Voldemort for you. The lads dedicated."

"You-you made him grovel?"

"I did. His contract terms are strict too. If he hurts you I'll-"

"Kill him?" Nikoloas finished. Tom pulled a face.

"Don't be boring, Nikoloas." He point both thumbs at his chest. "Dark Lord. Inventive. They match."

Nikoloas was shaking with laughter and could barely manage to gesture to the box that held an impatient Nagini.

Tom opened the box and thankfully didn't shake it, to see Nagini gnawing on an old yo-yo.

" _Hello my lovely. What is your name?"_

" _Nagini massster. Thisssss isss an old metal, masssster has already begun taking others things and keeping them, this is great evil work for the Dark Lord Voldemort!"_ She nodded somewhat determinedly and Nikoloas thought he would die. He could not breathe through the body-encasing laughter and his fathers slightly bewildered expression undid his composure.

" _Where did you get thissss? I did not realise I sssstill had it. I sssstole it from Billy when I was 10 maybe?"_

" _The wrinkled creature gave it to me masster. It ssssmelt of fear. But young massster sssaid to not eat it or no mice. I like mice masster. Give me mice."_

"See? She's giving orders already. Perfect match!"

"Cheeky brat." Tom grumbled. He conjured a mouse, put it on his shoulder and watched as Nagini chased it up his arm.

"I have something else for you Nikoloas. This was your mothers. I do not know of its contents, it was her last wish that I give it to you before the Aurours stormed the ward."

Tom handed the black battered journal over to his son, his hands shaking slightly. Nikoloas placed it in his lap with awe.

"Father...Father thank you. I-I-I-" His throat closed up on him and his cheeks became damp. He carrassed the old leather and softly, ever so softly as though it were the centuries old that it looked, he opened the first page. The initials T.M.R stood out to him and he looked to his father with tear-filled eyes for answers.

"Wh-when we first met, she didn't love me, she was a researcher, a true bookworm-we met in Bodleian Library and once she found out who I was, Emma was always smart that way, she slapped me and told me I was a fool and was going to damn the Wizarding World."

"She-she slapped you?" Nikoloas whispered in amazement.

"Indeed she did. It hurt too. I asked to court her. She asked me to prove I had a heart. And so I gave her my journal. It was filled with all my sorrows-the pages are never ending-and she read it, didn't move until she'd finished every last word. Than she showed up at the Malfoy Ball and-"

He sighed wistfully.

"We danced. All night. My knights were alarmed, thought she had tricked me somehow. Emma soon set them straight."

"Mother sounds-she sounds wonderful."

"She was. I'll tell you more over breakfast, save some gifts for after perhaps."

Nikoloas nodded his head and followed his father to the dining room, clutching the journal to his chest.


	15. Chapter 15

Nikoloas stared at himself in the mirror. Though his appearance had improved somewhat since being well cared and provided for by Tom enabled him to have the means to properly take care of himself, he would never be his own biggest fan. His hair had grown and brushed his shoulders, and looked a lot less greasy since Tom had insisted he invest in a decent shampoo if he was going to be brewing all the time. And after a quiet, unsure request from Nikoloas himself Tom had healed the many breaks his nose had suffered.

He ran a hand through his hair and flopped back onto the bed, picking up his mother's journal and stroking the cracked spine of the black book. Nikoloas felt the cracks as his finger trailed each vine-like split. His mother and father's handwriting differed greatly, soft, slopey and elegant to spiky and eccentric. Not that he had read much of his father's part of the diary, it didn't feel right, not when the man could choose to tell him himself if he wanted.

Emma's section was unorganised and the journal's purpose seemed to differ every page. There were theoretical potions formulae, spell ideas and seemingly random trains of thought.

It was also filled with complaints and worries over how bad his father's eating habits were and little anecdotes like that and it made Nikoloas smile until one story littered with clear tear tracks and he gasped in horror as his mother told of Tom loosing his temper and torturing his mother's brother Gregory who had betrayed their cause to death. Still she had been upset and felt the punishment was unwarranted. Emma had been absolutely furious with him and left the manor for what appeared to be roughly 3 weeks from what he could tell.

Sighing, he put the book aside. Nikoloas thought he had better talk to his father and hear both sides before he started panicking. His hands were starting to shake though and he knew how deadly his father could be with a wand. But seeing it in his mother's own hand, it was clear she adored and loved his father, so evidently it must have been beyond cruel for her to feel angry enough to use such brutal words.

Nikloas padded down the stairs clutching the banister for dear life. His father had said he'd never hurt him but clearly old habits hadn't died, judging by the punishment Tom had unleashed upon Lucius last summer.

His hands were shaking all over as he knocked at the door and entered at the weary "Get in."

Tom scowled at the mountain of paperwork in front of him. Oh sure he had minions that could do it for him but they did more paperwork for him to approve what they were doing with the original paperwork and he quickly stopped because, really he was just going to kill all of them. And to make matters worse he had yet to get his hands on Lucius Malfoy for hurting his son. He was angry, so incredibly so the only reason he was holding off was for the sake of Abraxas who had been a loyal and good friend to him. Murdering his relatives was perhaps not the best way to honour his memory.

He was startled from this train of thought when an owl crashed inside his window, skidding to a stop on the floor. Feeling his mood blacken by the second, Tom yanked the scroll from the owl's leg and with a roar of rage flung the poor creature back out the window. Two of his supporters he counted on to vote with him in the Wizengamont had been arrested for "suspected illegal activities." Avery and Goyle didn't have the largest amount of votes but their votes often pushed the neutrals in his favour.

Tom slammed his fist down on the desk and waved his hand to straighten the paperwork. He had read the same line five times before a timid knock on the door got his attention and his son entered looking a little paler than normal.

"Father I'm sorry for interrupting you, I um I'll go I'm sorry."

"No no come in Nikoloas come in. What is it?"

"F-father I um I was reading Mothers journal and i came across a section that I-I wanted to ask you about...?"

"Go on."

"Uh she wrote something about Uncle Gregory."

Tom stood up from his desk, knuckles white in anger. "What about him? He was never your uncle child. Hush. Don't speak of him as such."

"You tortured him." Nikoloas blurted out before freezing.

"Do not speak of a time you cannot understand. I have changed since then."

"But you tortured Lucius."

"You should not have seen that."

"But that was my _job_ was it not?"

"Job? Nikoloas stop this you know that has chang-"

"Has it?"

"How dare you question my actions?!"

"What? I tell the truth My Lord."

"Get out. Go to your room. Stay until dinner. I expect an apology then."

Tom sat back down and tried to ignore the pulsing anger and his son, he had work to do. If his third circle death eater-

"Make me." Nikoloas' chin was jutting out defiantly.

"Go Nikoloas."

"So you curse your minions for less but you're not man enough to curse family? Oh wait no that's clearly not it. What are you just a coward?"

Tom stood and in one fell swoop smacked his son across the face.

"I said go. Learn to do as you're told."

The words tasted like metal in his mouth as his son looked up uncaringly from the ground as blood dribbled down his chin.

Then he stood up straight and bowed, the gesture having a mocking feeling to it.

"Yes M'lord."

He turned and left, holding himself together until he collapsed in an unused dust covered room.

Nikoloas lay on the ground his arms wrapped around his legs. He didn't know for how long he laid there, the blood long since having dried on his chin.

Tom followed his point-me spell to one of the old, unused offices in the manor, before finding his son lying amongst piles of books.

"You missed dinner. Are you going to apologise now?"

Nikoloas stood but shook his head and Tom inclined his chin. "Very well. Come eat. We will discuss it afterwards, you missed lunch as well."

Nikoloas' head snapped up in shock and Tom arched an eyebrow. "A hunger strike will get you nowhere with me Nikoloas Adrian. Eat. Now."

Tom sat down and noted that Nikoloas did not sit with him.

"Sit and eat."

The boy sat and they both ate in silence. When they had finished, Tom looked at his son.

"I thought I told you to go to your room. Or are you ready to apologise now?"

"F-father-"

Tom held up a hand, pointing one finger upwards towards the ceiling.

"Do." he said softly "as I tell you."

Curling on his bed Nikoloas made no attempt to curb the self-deprecating thoughts that pounded his brain. He had to apologise to his father. What had he done? He had been so rude, so cheeky to his father. He needed to apologise, now before his father decided to punish him more. He scrambled and took an old belt from his wardrobe before slipping back down to his father's office.

He knocked on the door, entered the office and placed the belt on the desk. "I'm sorry Father. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you-"

"You did mean to. That is the point of an argument. What is this child?"

"I um I-"

Tom sighed and beckoned his son around the desk to his side.

"No Nikoloas. No. You have received too harsh a punishment already." He ran his hand over the dried blood in his son's chin before allowing his sleeve to dip into the glass of water constantly on his desk before taking it and gently washing the blood off Nikoloas' face.

"Th-thank you Father." He bowed his head into the hand not leaving his face.

Tom gently and slowly removed his hand. "Are you alright?" Nikoloas nodded far too quickly and Tom asked again "Are you alright Nikoloas?" Nikoloas shook his head slowly and his father drew him a little closer and sank to the ground with him holding him close.

"What is it that's bothering you son?" he murmured.

"Father why did you torture him? He was her brother….."

"He betrayed us."

"Father forgive me but-" he bit his lip "I don't think that that is the entire reason." He looked a little weary and Tom grimaced at how his son flinched from his hands.

"You are right, my smart boy. He betrayed us but he did so much more. He…." Tom swallowed "He knew your mother was pregnant before she did and he….he was going to sell you and your mother."

"Why?" It wasn't said saddened or hurt but simply a matter of fact question as though he wasn't asking how much his uncle would have sold him for.

An amount of pride rose up in Tom at the lack of hurt and naivete that his son had.

"Because he was a jealous, idiotic bastard."

Nikoloas spluttered and burst into a fit of giggles at the crudeness of the statement.

"How do you feel about the contract? I thought you would be happy but perhaps…" Nikoloas reeled back in shock.

"I am, father."

"I thought we agreed upon not lying."

"I-I-am."

"Then what worries you?"

Nikoloas opened his mouth with the intent to lie but what came tumbling out was a sorrowful "Why does he want me Father? I can't bear him children, Merlin knows he know how damn broken and useless I am. Couldn't even defend myself I-I"

"Hush son, hush. Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Hey there my beautiful boyfriend." From the doorway Sirius gave him a watery smile and held out a hand to hold him up.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chp 16-**_

 ** _Love is a punny thing_**

 _Hi guys, thanks so much for reading. Please leave feedback I love it it's incredibly encouraging._

 _Do many puns require a warning? Well-beware of many puns._

Sirius gripped Nick's arm in alarm, noting how pale and shaken he seemed. What had happened between their last exchange of letters and now? He hadn't look this shaken even after Malfoys douchery.

"Hey there my beautiful boyfriend." Sirius flashed his best smile, figuring that Nick wouldn't want him to mention the split lip and tear tracks on his face.

"C'mon Sirius I'll show you to Nick's room, the view is amazing, wait until you see." Lily gave Nick a thumbs up and dragged Sirius off up the massive set of stairs to Nick's room before tightening her grip on his arm and fixing him with a narrow-eyed glare. "Well?" She demanded.

"How are you going to do it?"

"Uhhhh." Sirius felt he was maybe missing something here.

"Asking Nick out obviously, you twat! You have to be original. And interesting. And nice for Merlins sake ' else Tom will slaughter you."

"Oh well I had a few ideas." Sirius said vaguely, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly as he sat on Nick's bed.

"Such as?" Nick sat beside him, eyebrow raised in question and Sirius cursed his luck.

"I'm tryna think of puns." He blurted than cringed as Nick snorted and Lily sent a furious glare in his direction.

"I highly doubt you will find a good enough pun to ask me out with."

"Is that a challenge baby?"

"Alright then. You have two weeks to impress me. And don't call me baby."

"Sure thing sweetheart."

Nick moved to the desk and they began on their various bits of homework but Sirius hadn't even begun before he was bored-siriusly who cared about what some stuffy old dead dude said they could and couldn't transfigure? He began to blow gently at Lily's hair amusing himself by watching how it swayed and puffed up. Her ear twitched every time but she was determined to ignore him until he reached out and started to fluff her hair with his hand until she snapped " _Will_ you stop that?! Just do your homework Sirius."

"But I don' waaaannnna. McGonagall insists on dates and titles and everything an' I don' wanna." He whinged as Nick turned around from his chair and laughed

"Really? All that because you don't want to date your transfiguration essay?"

"Nope. You however…" he waggled his eyebrows, hoping for a smile and a date arrangement.

Sirius Black spent five minutes choughing up a wad of parchment.

Much to Nick's dismay Sirius took him up on his challenge and had a sinister grin on his face for the rest of the day and as the holidays came to a close, Nikoloas would receive random scraps of paper by owl with scribbled puns and date requests, each delivered with a variation of "Nope" "Try harder Sirius." and one that a got a "Really Black? _Really?"_

Then there was no word from the Black heir for three days, no puns or advances for the whole journey back to Hogwarts and by the time their Monday morning Charms lesson came around Nikoloas was incredibly weary and right to be because not five minutes into the lesson a piece of parchment was pushed at his elbow. He nearly dropped his wand when he read "This class is gotta make me Prince Charming because I wanna rip those robes off at midnight."

He scowled and whacked Sirius up the top of the head.

"No."

Sirius nodded determinedly. From then on there was one per lesson and -as Dumbledore had timetabled Gryffindors and Slytherins together, no doubt hoping to inflame the rivalry even further-there was no escaping the terrible requests.

From statements like "I know I'm a Gryffindor but can I Slyther-in." to a cocky "I don't need to do divination to see us together." Nikoloas was ready to pull his hair out when Sirius leaned over his cauldron to hiss "Is there a leprechaun around cause I'm hoping to get lucky tonight."

They strolled out of potions with Nikoloas running towards the library knowing Sirius wouldn't follow him there.

"At least try to be….sweet. I realise romance is not your usual way but Nick is not the type of person who you usually date." Lily sighed.

Nikoloas nodded to himself in agreement as he heard. His friends strolled towards the lake, in the complete opposite direction to him. He was thankful for that. It gave him more time to process his feelings. He would very much like to go out with Sirius but they hadn't even discussed the contract and, if he was honest with himself which he tried to be, he was scared. There was so many unknown variables aswell as the possibility that a romantic relationship would ruin one of the only friendships he had.

Nikoloas has gotten so lost in thought, that he hadn't noticed ink dripping all over what would be his potions project. Cursing and grumbling he dug into his bag for a clean roll of parchment when footsteps at his table made him dart back up.

Releasing his grip on his wand when he seen who it was Nikoloas smiled.

"Thought you hated it here because it was, and I quote, 'A boring, stuffy, second common room for the Ravenclaws.' "

"Oh a few additions have changed my mind." Sirius retorted, leaning forward conspiratorially.

Nikoloas closed the distance between them and whispered "Oh? And what would those additions be exactly?"

"You." Sirius grinned and rubbed his nose against Nikoloas' quickly before asking quietly

"Roses are red, I am gay, go out with me and you'll make my day." finished with a flamboyant bow and a conjured rose which he handed to a blushing Nikoloas.

"Ok. You win." Nikoloas smiled wider and moved over a chair to let an elated Sirius slide in next to him.

"Before we think of something to do I wanted to talk about the contract thingy." Sirius' normally smiling face was open and honest, with no trace of humour or joking in grey eyes.

"Siri-"

"No Nick we gotta. Please?"

"What is there to talk about? It's fine." Nikoloas managed to keep his voice steady and even threw in an uncaring shrug for emphasis.

"Nick." Sirius placed his hand atop Nikoloas' and began to absentmindedly play with his fingers.

"Don't think I don't know what a golden opportunity I've been given here. I want to go out with you, take you to dinner, make you laugh and smile, kiss those gorgeous cheekbones, make you feel better when you're having one of those days, I wanna take that sad look you have when you think no-one is watching off your face. Even if you just want to be friends for forever I'll do all in my power to the best friend I can be, be it as brother or boyfriend I won't let you fall and if you do I _will_ catch you."

Nikoloas felt something move in his chest ; he went to speak but his words got clung to his throat and he merely gulped. Sirius took that chance to continue.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. You have your flaws, as do I, as does Lily-don't tell her I said that, she'll castrate me she promised- and I'd be forever grateful that I have this chance to make your life a little brighter." Sirius took a deep breath and ever so carefully raised his hand up and stroked Nikoloas' face with his thumb.

"All I see the contract as is a way for you to set whatever limits you want. That's not whats making me stay. Not even for second. It's off if you don't want it."

"If the contract is not for our families then what…?"

"You."

"Sirius." Nikoloas gaped and blinked away the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

"I-I-I Thank you."

He poured all his emotion into those two words hoping Sirius would understand all the meaning behind them.

"Always. So what would you like to do for our first date? Pick when and whatever you want and I'll sort it all out."

"You had better not do anything illegal." Nikoloas warned.

"Nope. Unless you want to do something illegal." Sirius ventured adding a wink for good measure.

Nikoloas shook his head. "It's a shame we can't go past Hogsmeade, it would be nice to be able to go for something to eat." He looked up at Sirius through his curtain of hair, artfully used to hide his face.

"You sure you don't want to go to Madame Pudifoots?"Sirius teased, roaring with laughter when Nick didn't even attempt to hide his distaste and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"No thanks. If I wanted to go an awful teashop with terrible service I'd go to the Ministry of Magic."

Sirius laughed even harder, nodding his head in agreement.

"Don't worry Nick I'll sort it. What would you like to eat then?"

"I've been trying to taste different cuisines-"

"Oooh, have you had any proper Italian food yet?"

Getting a reply in the negative Sirius grinned and pecked Nick on the cheek before leaning back and asking "Ok?"

"Better than ok."

"Great. Heh. Hope your dad doesn't curse me for that. I'm supposed to wait 'till our first year anniversary before I touch you at all. Oh the agony!"

Sirius dropped to knees, clutching his chest in mock-pain as Nick shook his head in disbelief. "Get up, you idiot. The floor is dusty."

Sirius sniggered. "Looks like I'll have to brush off my robes and my kissing skills."

Nikoloas smirked, a bit of confidence returning to him. Banter he could do.

"Oh really? That optimistic are we?"

Sirius paled just a little as Nikoloas added.

"Yes me too. I might ask Father how he and Mo-"

"No-no no need at all, hon. Er I'll eh pick you up at 8." With that he turned tail and ran, though not before stealing another kiss.

Nikoloas threw his arms up in the air and yelled after him "Pick me up from where Gryffindork?"

The next evening saw Nikoloas Riddle participating in what the professors would no doubt call "loitering" as he paced in a small circle outside the Great Hall.

"You know I'm not averse to carrying you, but please don't wear yourself out. You get awfully grumpy when you're tired,

Lily tells me."

Nikoloas glared half-heartedly at Sirius before taking the offered hand and allowing Sirius to thread their fingers together.

"You clean up nicely." He remarked, seeing that Sirius' shirt was actually tucked in and his hair was relatively combed.

"You don't look too bad yourself there Nick." He looked Nick's dark green (tight fitting because Lily had threw pillows at him when he argued otherwise) robes up and down appreciatively.

"Are you going to tell me how you're going to conjure a restaurant out of thin air?" Nikoloas asked, unable to keep sarcasm from his voice yet undeniably curious.

"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"I am not overly find of those." This was very true though his nerves had died down a lot, Sirius naturally putting him at ease.

"This one you will. Trust me. I also have a gift for you."

"Oh?"

"Indeedie. Would you like that first?"

Nikoloas nodded quickly, feeling rather excited at what lay ahead but also at the realisation that Sirius didn't need to ask Nick to trust him. He already did.

As Sirius led him to second floor girls bathroom, he grinned.

"What have you to my father's Chamber and how much is he going to hurt you?"

"He helped actually." Sirius stuck out his tongue, pulled Nick over to the sink and gestured for him to open it.

" _#Open#"_ was quickly followed by another hissed request for "# _Stairs#"_ and they made their way down a slippy, mouldy set of winding stairs until they reached a chasm and by the amount of body heat Nikoloas was losing he gathered they were deep under the school. A little shiver ran through him and Sirius slipped a cloak over both their shoulders.

Each step they took made a loud, echoing click not unfamiliar to the sounds of a building site and Nikoloas winced habitually used to being quiet. The chamber of secrets had almost as many corridors as Hogwarts did stairs but Sirius seemed fairly sure in his steps until they reached a tunnel sealed by intertwining snakes Nikoloas sighed and hissed "# _Open#"-Slytherin wasn't very inventive was he-_ and they stepped through what appeared to be a den of sorts.

Tables and bookcases that reminded Nikoloas of the library in Riddle Manor strewn in front of them, with the addition of the giant hammock hanging the width of the long room. It was heated and made more homely looking by the rugs dotted around the room and the newly built fireplace that a record player sat happily atop of.

"In case you ever need a place to get away. It's always so loud, everywhere in Hogwarts but here…" Sirius piped up with a shrug "well you're the only one who can get in here so it's all yours. The elves can get in too. Thats how your father and I got all this cool stuff in. So..what do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful." Nikoloas breathed, eyes trying to capture and remember every detail.

"Personally I wanted to leave Potter in here with the Basilisk but-"

"Where is she?!" Nick yelped, spinning around almost expecting the giant snake to manifest in front of him.

"She's eh...in the...head." Sirius waved a hand to their left and Nikoloas jumped as he caught sight of the giant head of Salazar Slytherin.

"Oh my." He murmured before his stomach grumbled and he blushed.

"C'mon lets eat." As Sirius exited the tunnel Nikoloas took one more look at his paradise and ran after his boyfriend.

'Where on Earth are we eating? The damn astronomy tower?' Nick thought as they climbed stairs after stairs, deftly avoiding the trick steps with many giggles and grins.

When Sirius started to pace near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy Nikoloas began to wonder if the older boy had gone barmy too.

When Sirius proudly pronounced "Ah-ha" and stood aside to reveal two large doors carving themselves into the castle walls Nikoloas stared and simply decided to accept it before allowing Sirius to show him into an identical interior of the Italian restaurant in Diagon Alley.

"How…." Nikoloas trailed off, fascinated.

"Its the Room of Requirement. It can be whatever you, well, require. Except for food. It doesn't seem to do that." Sirius pouted before brightening "But the elves will-look!"

He held Nikoloas' chair out for him and poured him butterbeer and kept re-filling his plate with different pastas and the occasional slice of pizza. All this invoked a feeling so warm and comforting it heated him from his toes to his hands.

He truly felt safe and comfortable at Hogwarts for the first time and as he gripped Sirius' hand from across the table he wasn't worrying about school-yard bullies or scheming headmasters. But he should have been.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chp.17**_

 _ **Apologies for the wait. Read and feedback blahblah. Enjoooy**_

"Ok ok so muggles seriously went to the moon? Really? Damn thats awesome!" Childish excitement radiated from Sirius and he tucked a laughing Nikoloas under his arm to peck him on the cheek.

"Yes Sirius. They did."

"Holy Hell. That'll show all the stupid assholes that think they're defenceless. Ah damn, see you later sweetheart." He winked and they separated as they strolled into the Great Hall. Casually glancing up to do his daily Dumble-spotting he choked on air.

Sitting at the staff table looking undeniably smug was one Tom Riddle chatting casually to McGonagall as though they were old friends. Dumbledore looked like he'd swallowed a lemon and choked on it simultaneously. Tom's head turned and he gave Nikoloas a smug little smirk for a quick second before his attention turned back to the charmed Transfiguration professor. Looking over at the Gryffindor table he saw Lily with her hands clasped desperately over her mouth, not that it did much to stifle her giggles, and Sirius looked just a shade paler and had his hands hovering over his pelvis protectively.

Nikoloas glared at the bowl of fruit sitting innocently on the table hoping if he glowered hard enough it would spontaneously combust so he could launch it at his bastard of a father. He sat with his arms folded moodily across his chest for the remainder of breakfast and no one dared question it. If Severus Snape was in a bad mood you stayed well away. Nobody's ego could handle his wrath.

After he had sat there for a socially acceptable amount of time he stormed out of the hall, his friends immediately latching onto either side of him. Sirius put a consoling arm on his shoulder. "I'm sure it's fine Nick, tell me what's wrong huh?"

Nikoloas gritted his teeth and brushed him off.

"Nick. We only want to help. Honest. You know that. Stop being a prat and look at me." Lily stopped him in the middle of the corridor and looked up at him, doe-like green eyes holding his.

"He thinks I can't do it Lily. I'm no good. I've failed." He managed before that realisation came hurtling down at him and sent the floor underneath him folding in. It sickeningly twirled like a ballerina on steroids before soaring up to meet him as his legs buckled. Immediately, Sirius' warm, Quidditch-toned arms enveloped him in a secure lift.

"I've got you sweetheart, just hold on for me and we'll get to your dad and he'll help you out, ok?"

Gasping Nikoloas shook his head rapidly and Sirius nodded soothingly murmuring "Ok, ok no Tom just-just please breathe for me 'k ?"

He sat on the floor holding onto Nikoloas tight, stroking his hair and murmuring sweet nothings until the shaking stopped and Nikoloas curled in on himself, embarrassed.

"Let's go talk to Tom ok?"

Lily said gently. "New teachers always get a day to settle into their classrooms and offices and such."

Nikoloas nodded silently allowing them to guide him by elbows until they reached the only spare office.

Nikoloas didn't bother with knocking, he just stormed right in and slapped his hands down on his father's desk as the man looked up from his curriculum, startled.

"Nikoloas-"

"Am I really such a disappointment, that much of a failure that you don't trust me to do one thing by myself? I'm sorry ok! I'm sorry I keep fucking up, I'm sorry I can't be your perfect son but here's a newsflash you asshole that little boy died in hospital with your beloved wife that I killed by existing so I'm so fucking sorry! There! I said it, you can take your damn money back-"

"Jesus Nick." Sirius blew hair away from his face and stared at his boyfriend in shock while tears welled up in Lily's eyes. Tom hadn't moved an inch since he'd started his rant, arm frozen half risen in his bid to get silence from Nikoloas, eyes blown wide, and mouth slightly open.

Rooting out his mother's journal from his bag he threw it down on the desk and only hesitated a fraction before flinging his galleon bag down too and fleeing. By the time the other occupants of the room moved, he was sprinting towards the Forbidden Forest.

Having lost his shoes almost an hour ago, Nikoloas resumed running as the burn in his lungs and chest spurred him on. The moss of the forest caved under each foot in turn as his toes curled into the dampness. With the darkness of the Forests' night sky he was blind, but couldn't care less. Wind kept his hair back from his face and the occasional slicing of his arm from a stray twig kept him intimately aware of his ever changing surroundings.

Or so he thought.

"Well, well, well lookie who we 'ave here." The common voice was his only warning before he smacked into a thick arm and stumbled to the ground with a grunt. It didn't faze him for long, he jumped to his feet and faced the Snatchers with a smirk.

"Can I help you gentleman?" He kept his tone light, bordering on mocking.

"Sure you can gorgeous. See" the leader leaned forward, his rancid breath hitting Severus full on though he gave no indication of fear or any discomfort.

"The ministry is hirin' us to round up summa those 'Death Eater' scum before the public catchin wind of any danger, yeah? And I'm thinking a pretty thing like you ain't running from such a lovely school for no reason, you keepin' up?"

"Oh I am, but you have no reason to take me in. I'm not a Death Eater." He gave his best scornful look, unconsciously mimicking Sirius at his most Gryffindorish.

They all grunted and nodded in agreement and one of muttered "Kids right Scabior, he ain't got no black thing on 'is wrist."

"Oh I don't need a reason."

When Scabior sprung Nikoloas was ready and flung the man to the ground, rapidly engaging in a duel with the others-they were practically squibs- and his adrenaline gave him confidence and energy, turning his pain into fuel as they dropped one by one. He was winning, he was nearly there until "Perfectos Totalus!" was shouted from somewhere to his left and as he fell frozen to the ground a smug James Potter pulled off his Invisibility Cloak and laughed "He's yours for ⅓ of the cut boys."

"Fuck off you lil' midget. It ain't cash we're gettin for this one." Scabior hauled himself to his feet in obvious pain and glared at Potter.

"Even better for me than." Potter turned and left with a jaunty little wave at Nikoloas. "See ya never again Snivellous."

That bastard. That cowardly bastard. Nikoloas didn't have time to wallow in his hate as hot, sweaty arms surrounded him much like Sirius' had and he closed his eyes. He wished Sirius was with him. But he wasn't. No-one was.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chp.18**_

 _ **Hi, thanks for reading, do let me know what you think please and thank you!**_

Tom tore down the corridor, his robes snapping at his heels like a pack of angry dogs as the students cleared a path for him with no objections.

"How could you Tom?!" Dumbledore's 'saddened' cry stopped him in his tracks and he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and whirling to face the man who had been responsible for the loss of his wife and now his son.

"How could I what, Headmaster?" He puckered his eyebrows and made sure to look a little alarmed and sure enough Minerva jumped to his defence.

"Oh hush now Albus, Tom couldn't have possibly-" Whatever she had been going to say was cut off by a sharp 'wheeeing' sound as James Potter crashed from the Great Hall and slid onto the ancient floors, spluttering and coughing. Fixing his askew glasses he cried "Sir, Black is attacki-"

The aforementioned boy leapt out into the corridor as the student body gathered around the once-infamous pair, either choosing to offer comfort to a distraught Lily or yell "Fight, Fight, Fight!" with all the decorum one would expect from a zoo of wild animals.

"You sly conniving bastard! Give me my boyfriend back, what have you done?! I swear to Merlin, if I find him less then perfect I will _end_ you Potter!" Sirius got in three solid punches before Tom pulled him off and shook his shoulders lightly.

"Tell me-calmly and rationally-why you think Mr. Potter has any involvement with Mr. Snape's….absence."

"Cause he said so, the little prick-"

"Language." Tom reprimanded sharply, trying to play a concerned professor while all he wanted to do was shake an answer out of Potter instead.

"What did he say?"

"He said-he said that he was gon' throw a party coz N-Sev ain't here no more."

Sirius rubbed a tired hand across his nose as Potter stood up and began to spout his usual spiel:

"My father'll have your head for this Black, he said-"

"I couldn't give a flying fu-"

"MS EVANS!" McGonagall thundered. "Do not finish that sentence, young lady." She fixed the raw-eyed girl with a stern look, not taking points as her poor lion was so clearly distressed.

"The stupid, slimy snake went crying into the Forest, he did, crying over something, his hair I'll bet." Potter laughed, as his Gryffindor supporters sniggered until Lily twitched her wand hand not-so-subtly and they flinched as one.

"Did you see anything else Mr. Potter?" Each word that came out through his teeth was slow and deliberate, though Potter did not sense the danger he was landing himself into.

"Nope." He was a terrible liar.

Aiming to kill two birds with one stone Tom turned his attention to a madly scheming Dumbledore and asked. "Well Headmaster? One of your students has most likely been injured on school grounds. What are you going to do?" _C'mon, c'mon, c'mon please._

Tom slipped his hand behind his back and crossed his fingers together.

"Oh I will send a party to rescue the boy at once." _Jackpot._ Tom thought he may cry. Of simultaneous fear and joy. is son was still missing but Dumbledore had so blatantly slipped up.

He plastered a horrified look on his face and than added "Why would he need rescuing?"

As whispers flew around the students, a few darting to owl their ministry parents, Dumbledore paled and pulled on his robe collar. "Why after a child as young as he wandering into the Forest alone, you would all forgive me for being somewhat alarmed", He blustered on like that for a few moments until Lily yelled:

"Fine, whatever, but can we find him now?! Ohh he's probably so scared and alone." She held back the tears, gripped her wand determinedly and stepped up beside Sirius.

"Now now you two children can't just go on your-"

"I'll come." Regulus Black squared his shoulders and joined the raggedy search party.

"A few of you only." McGonagall cast a worried look at Dumbledore before beckoning the willing students-mostly Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws- forward.

Sirius grinned at his brother in thanks and Regulus nodded, slipping back into the gaggle of students.

Tom weaved through the forest, unknowingly mirroring his son's earlier movements as he used his wand to cast some light on the treacherous forest floor.

"Oh Nikoloas." He murmured sorrowfully, if only he had thought to explain his plans to his son beforehand he might not have reacted so badly. If only he hadn't-a sharp snap ahead interrupted Toms self pitying party and he broke into a run.

Stopping just short of running into the back of a man that looked and smelled worse than a Knockturn Alley hag, Tom jumped just as the man turned, and latched onto a tree branch. He perched on the shaking arm of the wrinkled tree and craned his neck to see the actions of the gang below him. Catching a glimpse of Hogwarts robes he saw red as one of those mongrels began to trail his hand up Nikoloas' chest. His boy didn't flinch merely waited until the man looked up before rearing back and spitting in the man's face, uncaring of the backhand he received as a result.

Tom was reminded all too forcefully of his own actions over the holidays and winced. Now was the time to try right that wrong. His son may have forgiven him, for Tom could never be as cruel as his muggle adopted father, but Tom knew he would never, ever forgive himself for the irreparable damage he had done to his son and their relationship.

With a snarl he flung himself at the group, quickly besting the few his son had not managed to overpower and holding the leader at wand point.

" _How dare you?"_ He hissed, his voice taking on a hissing quality in his rage. " _How dare you put a hand on my son?"_

"I-I-" The man stuttered and scrambled backwards as Tom sent a spiral of red sparks into the darkening sky, sending the other searchers running.

"Perfectus Totalus." He intoned dryly watching as the man froze and took a hit to the head as he fell.

"Nikoloas! Are you hurt? Oh I'll murder the lot of them." He hauled his son to his feet and patted him down frantically.

When a small drop of water landed on his hand he looked up, raising his hand to dry his son's tears. Seconds before his hand brushed Nikoloas' face, the boy flinched away and subsequently froze.

"F-father I-I-I.."

He swallowed twice and opened his mouth seemingly unable to find words. He didn't need to. Tom clutched the boy to his chest and rested his cheek on his son's tangled hair.

"Nick!" When Sirius and Lily reached them, red faced and winded, the two Riddles broke apart and Sirius tackled his boyfriend with the force of an angry bear and began to sob.

"I thought something had happened to you!" He took Nikoloas' head in his hands and peppered little kisses all over his as Lily squeezed his hand.

"Something did, Sirius you idiot. Did you think he was just chilling by a bunch of sleeping weirdos for fun?" Lily slapped Sirius upside the head and scowled, her adrenaline fading.

McGonagall and Dumbledore soon joined their little brigade and they trooped back to the castle, everyone ignoring Nikoloas' protests that he didn't need to go to the Hospital Wing, a nap in the dorms would do him fine. In response Sirius swept him up into a bridal style lift, ignoring Toms glare as he knew The Dark Lord didn't have a plausible reason to do anything but glare at him without giving away their secret.

"Put me down!" Nikoloas glared, his usual fear factor falling flat as Sirius just grinned.

Leaning down he whispered "Don't worry we'll get you to the chamber. You need to rest awhile before you give your statement to the Aurors."

"Wha-but no it was my fault, I ran. I mean-"

"Nonsense Mr. Snape. Those men accosted you and I will personally make sure the aurors deal with them." McGonagall cut in, sounding remarkably cat-like as the others stared at her in shock, her being the least likely person they had thought would defend a Slytherin.

"Why were you in the Forbidden Forest m'boy?" Dumbledore glowered disapprovingly over his half moon glasses.

"I wanted to go for a walk. I needed to let off some steam."

"Perfectly alright, but next time won't you stick to the Quidditch please?"

Nikoloas nodded to his father and said "Yes sir."

Sirius and Lily insisted on escorting him to Slytherin dorms, promising to return him within 2 hours to give his statement to the Aurors.

"Tom you say you secured the fiends responsible in the forest?"

"Indeed I did Minerva." Tom answered McGonagall smoothly as Dumbledore stalked off with all the dignity of a three year old.

Heading straight to the chamber, they split at the 2nd floor as Lily promised to get his Slytherin year mates to cover for him. He didn't want to even know how she'd manage that.

When he hissed the password Sirius held him tighter. "Hey. Hey Nick, I get to carry you over the threshold earlier than I first planned." He winked conspiratorially and Nikoloas whacked him in the chest.

Laying Nikoloas down on the hammock Sirius sat beside him and stroked his exhausted boyfriends hair.

"Seriously Nick, how are you feeling?"

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I don't want you to worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you. I think it's become habitual. And I'm going to continue worrying until you tell me how you're doing." He kissed Nikoloas' cheek.

"I'm scared Siri." Nikoloas cuddled into Sirius, seeming so tired yet innocently childlike at the same time.

"What are you scared of?" Sirius kept his voice calm, trying to reassure Nick.

"He's gonna hate me for real now. I was so rude. But maybe if I-" he broke his rambling to let a wide yawn escape him- "maybe if I get a job I can pay him back and stuff."

"Why would you need to do that?" Tom stepped through the door as Sirius finished his question and held a finger to lips and then his hand out on front of him so the Dark Lord remained stationary and silent.

"'Cause I gotta pay him back. For takin me in and I couldn't even do my stupid job right, he hadta come and do it himself because I failed, I wasn't good enough."

"You are good enough Nikoloas!" Sirius said furiously. "You are damnit!"

Nikoloas just opened one eye and looked at him sadly before drifting off to sleep.

"Fix this. I don't care how just explain to him and fix this. I'll buy you a candyfloss machine every Father's day for a decade just fix it." Sirius hissed, glaring at a crestfallen Dark Lord.

The man didn't reply, merely dragged himself over and knelt at Nikoloas' hammock.

"I'm going to do some damage control. Look after him."

"You know I will Black."

"Do I?" Sirius shot back venomously, hardly believing his own nerve. "You haven't been doing to good a job of it so far."

"Stop running your mouth or so help me I will shove your head down that candyfloss machine!"

Tom glared and Sirius did a victory dance and crowed "HAHAAAH You confessssss." before speeding away from the irate Dark Lord.

"I never told anyone about the candyfloss." Tom muttered licking his lips to resist the urge to holler for an elf to bring him some. It would not do to prove the little cretin, that would one day be his son in law, right.

He sat, staring down at his son's sleeping form, for a long time before kicking himself into gear and healing all the scratches marring the pale skin. With the magics finishing touches, Nikoloas stirred and froze at the sight of his father. Before his son could alarm him with self-deprecating drivel he stated "I never got the chance to tell you how unbelievably proud am I, did I?"

He smiled softly as Nikoloas gaped. "But I-I was so rude, Father-please don't crucio me!" Gasping as the words came unbidden out of his mouth his flinched and buried his head in his arms. They were right back to square one, it seemed.

Tom sighed "Nikoloas we need to have a long conversation"-he stressed the last word making it hopefully clear that talking was as far as he'd ever go again "about what happened today and over the holidays."

"There's nothing to talk about." Just like that, wall by wall, Tom could almost seem each impenetrable metal barrier fling itself down behind his son's unusually cold eyes and winced. Merlin if Emma was here she'd skin him. Literally. He knew she'd known how.

"We have to talk at some point." He tried again, holding onto his temper with an iron-clad will.

"As you say Father. Please excuse me, I have a statement to make." Nikoloas slid from the hammock and almost stumbled, Tom grabbing his arm on instinct. For a moment there was nothing but awkward silence until Tom released his death-grip and both men mumbled strained apologies, looking anywhere but the others eyes as Nikoloas brushed down his robes and left, leaving a very defeated Tom on the ground in his ancestors chamber.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

 _ **Hiiii. Hope you all enjoy. Feedback would be lovely, please and thank you.**_

Tom stepped into his manor, his ears ringing from his son's harsh words. He slipped down the corridor and skipped down the dungeon tunnel with a practiced ease, his blue eyes glittering in dark amusement as the dishevelled form of Lucius Malfoy came into view.

Nagini was curled around his whimpering, huddled up form, occasionally lashing towards him with her fangs bared. Tom could hear her hissing laughter and smirked as it dawned on him that Lucius could only hear sharp hisses, not the almost childish sniggering coming from his pet.

" _Having fun?_ " he questioned as she wriggled her scaly body in an eager movement.

" _Oh yessss massster. When will Little Master be home? His scent is fading."_

Tom sighed, he had never felt more sympathy for Atlas then he did now.

" _I don't know, Nagini. Soon I hope."_ She hissed irritably, flicking her tail in agitation.

"Now….Lucius-"

"I'm sorry, m'lord I'm sorry I meant no harm I-"

"You humiliated my son."

Lucius' face crinkled in confusion. "Y-your son m'lord? I-I thought-"

"Crucio!" Tom hissed, snapping his wand as Lucius screamed in pain. He ended the curse and knelt down beside Lucius, trailing his wand up the blonds leg.

"Why the sudden interest in his sexuality, hmm?" he whispered.

Realization dawned on Lucius, "Snape is your son?!"

"HE DOES NOT BARE THAT FILTHY MUGGLE NAME, HOW DARE YOU!" With a swift slash, blood stained Lucius' chest just as the madness seemed to stain Tom Riddle's eyes, red leaking into his irises.

Lucius moaned in pain as the following blood-boiling curse set everything in him on fire. "You never answered my question Lucius….." The Dark Lord tutted.

"Wha..?" He murmured dimly, eyes rolling in his head.

"My baby boy was so dreadfully upset, I could tell, though he hid it remarkably well wouldn't you say Lucius? He was simply born to play the part of a spy no?"

"Y-yes my lord."

"NO." The Dark Lord bit out. "He was born to be the Dark Prince, he would have been raised as royalty. But, I digress, he would not have needed to be a spy at all if you had not failed your job. You made a terrible spy Lucius. Too self absorbed. Tsk, tsk. But I suppose I owe you some thanks. After all, if it weren't for your failure I would not have ever met him. You went and hurt him, you hurt my son and were you anyone else I would kill you. The only reason I do not is because of the respect I still harbour for your late father, am I clear?"

Lucius managed to haul himself to his knees and rasp "Thank you my lord, thank you. How-how may I redeem myself?"

"I require your Wizengamot seat Lucius. How much influence do you have on the Board of Governors?"

"What is it you wish my lord?"

"We are going to take down Albus Dumbledore."

Despite his agony Lucius grinned.

Sirius laced his fingers through Nick's as the other boy sighed and scooted closer to him, the Chambers cold air making him shiver.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Nick buried his head in Sirius' shoulder and mumbled "No."

"Tell me what's wrong, lemme help." He insisted.

"They didn't believe me Siri. I told them Potter seen me and they called me a liar to my face."

"Who?" Sirius reeled back in shock as anger flooded him at the distraught look on Nikoloas' face.

"The damn Aurors."

Sirius winced and tried to calm his boyfriend. "They'll find the Snatchers, Nick, and they'll squeal on Potter I'm sure of it." He kept his tone light and confident and a small smile twitched at Nikoloas' lips.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. What time do you have detention with McGonagall?"

Nikoloas glowered at the reminder. The best Dumbledore had been able to do was give him detention and a self righteous speech about how disappointed he was in Nikoloas for leaving the school grounds. He had thought his ears and eyes were going to bleed before he escaped Dumbledore's lecture and golden robes with red 'cats'.

He was just about to answer when McGonagall cleared her throat as she rounded the corner. "Ah Mr Snape, good I've finally found you, your yearmates are as reluctant as ever to reveal your whereabouts." She huffed disapprovingly as the boys untangled themselves and fixed him with a stern glare. "Professor Riddle has taken over your detention, report to his office at seven instead." She turned sharply on her heel and left as the blood started to pound in his ears.

"Nick-" Sirius started

"How could he?!"

"You have been avoiding him for the past week and considering you have to be in the same room together for all your DADA classes that's damn impressive! You had to face him sometime."

"But-but he-"

"Is probably just as worried about you as Lily and I are."

Nikoloas gave Sirius a small shove. "Whose side are you even on?"

"Yours. Always. I want you to be happy. And.." He hesitated a little before continuing "I think you and your dad have some issues to talk out. He's a Dark Lord and a bloody ashole, I'm not denying it, but Nick please please realise you're not the easiest person to get to open up. One second I think I got you and then you shut down, more reinforced than bloody Gringotts." Nikoloas took a deep breath. Sirius was not saying so to hurt him, he knew that.

Sincerity radiated from every pore of the Gryffindor and Nikoloas thought he had better listen to someone else's advice for once. It meant a higher risk of danger, he was opening himself up for a world of hurt but Sirius…..Sirius meant a lot to him. He had the contract to fall back onto if things got shaky so maybe it wouldn't do any harm…. "Will you...help me please?" He grimaced and tried to tell himself it didn't make him weak to ask for help. _It didn't._

Sirius' warm hand cupped his cheek. "Of course. Nikoloas I'd make the Devil decorate hell in halos if it was what you really wanted." Snorting at the sheer absurdity of what Sirius had just said, Nikoloas shook his head and asked "What do I say to him?"

The Black Heir hummed in deep thought and than, with a perfectly straight face, said "Hi would be a good place to start."

"Oh shove off you!" Nikoloas began to jog towards the defence classroom as Sirius flung his arms up in defence. "What? It's a good conversation starter! If all else fails talk about the weather. Hey Niiiick wait up."

Sirius linked their elbows together as he panted. "You sound like a dog." Nikoloas remarked dryly.

"A cute puppy-dog that you wanna kiss and let sleep on the end of your bed to snarl at all the Snarky Slytherins?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"No, you mutt. Helping me with Daddy issues remember?"

"Why don't you start by telling him your problems?"

"I did that. In his office. Before...the forest."

"Naw Nick, I mean seriously. Here, look, try it with me now. Spill."

"Umm I'm doing a terrible job at spying, so he had to come do it himself because I'm so bloody useless."

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked simply.

Nick's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Well did you ask him if that's why he came? I mean the man's a damn good teacher, I'll give him that but that's not my point. Investigate the height of it before you jump off the cliff Nick."

"O-ok. Even if it's not, I'm still letting him down, I've still disappointed him. And it just...it just hurts, Siri."

"You need to ask him about all this Nick. You've only had a father for a few months and after what I know of what you've been through, it's a damn miracle you've trusted anyone at all. You're both equally awkward, keep practicing and talking it out, it'll get better."

"You think so?"

Sirius kissed the top of his nose. "I know so. Look at us. We did it didn't we?"

A smile ghosted on Nikoloas' face. "Yeah, we did."

"Than go solve your daddy issues darlin'. Theres the door."

He twirled Nikoloas around and reached above his head to rap his knuckles on the door, so there was no way Nikoloas could chicken out.

"Come in." Tom called out, as Sirius grinned and danced down the corridor out of Nikoloas' reach. He steeled his resolve and opened the door. His father looked so incredibly normal, sitting at a desk, quill in hand and red marks littering the essays in front of him.

When he allowed his only escape route to slip closed behind him, he closed his eyes and swallowed and was thusly unprepared for the hug his father enveloped him in.

"Nikoloas, Nikoloas. Come, sit. Tea?"

He nodded robotically. "If you please sir."

"There are secrecy charms up Nick."

"I know." The acknowledgement made his father wince.

"I know I have no right to expect you to address me as Father when I have not been one."

Nikoloas blinked, a gasp escaping his lips. What? No it was Nikoloas himself who had done wrong, hadn't it? Oh Merlin the confusion was choking him and he pulled anxiously at his collar.

"N-no you've been great-"

"Forgive me for saying so Nikoloas,, but I don't believe you have the best basis from which to judge the success of my fatherhood"

Nikoloas had to concede that, his knowledge and experience of good parenting was extremely limited. "B-but I haven't exactly made it easy."

"No. You haven't. I worry about you. Constantly. It keeps me on my toes." He came around from the desk as the tea popped up and sat beside Nikoloas, pouring them both a cup. He took hold of the hot brew and tucked his feet up under him. His father didn't look a bit like a Dark Lord who had (unbeknownst to Nikoloas), just tortured someone.

"Because I can't even spy for you right." Nikoloas allowed his shoulders to slump, dejected.

"What? Oh Nikoloas. No son that's not-no. Is that why you thought I came?"

His head shot up. "It isn't?"

"No silly child. I wanted to be closer to you for one thing, and to have a solid alibi if Dumbledore starts making claims. After all if he starts accusing 'harmless professors' he's including himself."

"Oh." Nikoloas breathed.

"Your intel was wonderful, son. You've helped me weed out all the traitors."

"R-really? But-but then why didn't you tell me you were coming to teach? I mean we all knew Professor Moriarty was retiring but…"

"I wanted to surprise you. I see now it was a completely bad move on my part and I apologise."

The second the man put down his tea, he opened his arms and they had a quick, very awkward, between-chair hug before releasing.

"I know I don't say it enough, but I am so, so proud of you. And ehh…" Tom rubbed the back of his neck almost sheepishly before saying quietly. "We could try do this every week, I mean, if you like. You could come and let me know how you are and what's going on in your life, I know teenagers don't generally want their parents in their lives but we could-"

"I'd like that a lot."

Tom sent him one of his rare smiles and warmth flooded him like a match consumed by the flames.

"Good, good. How has Sirius been treating you?"

Nikoloas blushed, Tom raised an eyebrow and a gentle current of conversation swashed through the air as the clock chimed 12.

"Tomorrow is Saturday, you could...sleep over here if you wanted?" Tom offered and Nikoloas froze before giving a quick, jerky nod of agreement before moving over to the large sofa. Tom brought over a blanket and spread it over him, making sure his feet were covered as Nikoloas blushed. He was far too old for his father to be tucking him in and he only went redder as his father stroked his hair and whispered "Goodnight Nikoloas. Nox." The lights went out and he sought comfort in the heavy darkness that surrounded him and soothed him to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy, lemme know what you think. Also I know Priori Incantatem only shows the last spell buuut i figured I could use fanfiction license. Also if you can't read the words that are all mashed together they're marked with * so skip to the end to see it.**_

Nikoloas sighed as the deja vu hit him. Here he was again, Auror Dawlish pacing back and forth, momentarily blocking his view of Potters smug face with each length of the room. He could feel the anger building, Nikoloas was going to hit him soon. In the crotch. With Fawkes' perch. A sympathetic Sirius patted his clenched fist soothingly.

"We've been over this Mr. Snape, yet you still claim Mr. Potter witnessed your tussle with the men the Ministry now has in custody."

"No. That is _still_ incorrect sir, that is not my what I am saying. I tell you nothing but the truth when I say: during my fight with the Snatchers, Potter cast a jinx at me, Petrificus Totalus to be exact and left me for dead. That is the truth." _Despite how much money Charlus Potter pays you to say otherwise._ He added spitefully in his head.

"Do you have proof, a guarantee, that Mr Potter did what you accused him of?"

"Do you have a guarantee he didn't?" Nikoloas shot back as Sirius gripped his arm, hissing "Don't antagonize the idiot crew."

Nick scowled. Potter pushed himself off where he had been leaning against Dumbledore's desk and, with a cocky smirk said, "Oh please. It's obvious the little faggot was just going to beg to get some off those creeps. We all know he's a poof just ask anyone in the school!"

"Leave your bigotry out of this you little-"

"Sirius!" Nikoloas clasped his hand over Sirius' mouth, grimacing as Sirius licked his hand in response.

"Ahem." Tom cleared his throat from where he appeared in the doorway and stepped in. "Interrogating minors without their parents present Auror Dawlish? Tutut, that could lose you your badge you know."

The man squeaked.

"Let me solve this matter once and for all. Cast Priori Incantatem on Mr. Potter's wand and, if Mr. Snape is telling the truth then Petrificus Totalus should be among the last spells that have been cast. Fifth years have been doing theory all week so there should be no harmful jinxes on his wand history."

When he finished this smooth defense, the Auror puffed up his chest, in an action reminiscent to that of a cuckoo bird and snapped "And who are you to make such a call Mr…"

"Professor Riddle if you please." Tom sent his most charming smile the Aurors way though it did little to smooth the man's haphazardly ruffled feathers. But he did, begrudgingly, hold his hand out for Potter's wand.

"No it's mine you ca-"

"Just hand it over kid." No amount of Galleons Charlus Potter could pay him would compensate for the loss of his badge, which was a definite possibility if _something_ wasn't seen to be done for Snape's request to review the initial judgement.

James Potter was on the verge of a full scale tantrum. "My father'll hear about this!" He yelled, stamping his foot and crossing his arms over his chest like a child. He looked so incredibly stupid, Sirius and Nikoloas took one look at him and burst into raucous laughter, clutching at each other as laughter quaked their limbs.

Dumbledore frowned disapprovingly.

"Now James-"

"No! No it's not fair. I want-"

"Too bad Potter, Mommy's not here." Sirius jeered.

Tom lifted a hand to his mouth to hide his grin and 'coughed' twice as Sirius stared at him. "You can laugh!"

"Sirius!" Nikoloas groaned again even as the Auror cast the spell, revealing a wispy _Petrificus Totalus_ as well as two other spells that made James Potter blush as red as a Weasleys hair and Sirius break out into more laughter. Dumbledore raised a wrinkled hand to his face delicately while Nikoloas seen his father's disgusted face and buried his face in his hands as the Auror cringed but listed them in his book.

Fawkes' caw broke the awkwarding silence Sirius' giggles were causing and Dumbledore cleared his throat, trying to be heard over Sirius' loud laughter that wasn't going to die any time soon.

"There are some unappropriate spells, yes but-"

"Oh Headmaster surely you can see the clear evidence as I can unless, oh Albus is old age getting to you?" He stepped forward, managing to make his face looked concerned and Sirius glanced at him and wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh Merlin, I can't breathe. My bloody ribs hurt."

Nikoloas smiled and shook his head fondly before helping him up off the floor. They both turned now stoic and stony gazes to Auror Dawlish and he squirmed under the blank faces of two teenage boys. "Yes well, I think we see clear evidence of Mr Potter's involvement in Mr. Snape's assault. The decision rests in your hands Albus."

Nikoloas made a quiet noise of disgust at this, knowing the Golden Gryffindor would get off lightly again. After nearly killing him, again.

"Mr. Potter shall be suspended for a month, starting tomorrow." Dumbledore looked so saddened by this but James and Nikoloas echoed his words and glared at each other in horror.

Tom clamped his hand down on Nikoloas' shoulder and the boy bit his tongue. If he gave Dumbledore the verbal tongue lashing he wanted to, he would land himself in more trouble then Potter. Dawlish scurried out the door taking the boy with him. The second the room was empty, save for Dumbledore and Tom the elder raised his wand threateningly. "You may have everyone else fooled, but I know you are Dark Lord Voldemort, Tom. I will not let you corrupt my school with your monstrous notions-"

"You would do well to remember, Albus, that monster are made, not born, before you meddle with a third child's life." He smiled bitterly and swept out of the office, robes billowing.

A few hours later Sirius and skipped slightly ahead cheerfully as Lily squeezed Nick's arm. "Ha! I'm so glad that toerag got suspended, though I still think he should have been expelled at the very least." she huffed.

"I'll take what bit of justice I can get." Nick shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"C'mooonnnn you two. We gotta get Nick to _D.A.D_ A to see his _Dad_."

He looked less than pleased at their dumbfounded expressions, despite his emphasis on the words.

"What? You never noticed? Nick's Dad teaches DADA!" He grinned when Nick allowed mirth to shine through his dark eyes, hidden by splayed hands covering his face in fake shame.

"I'm great." Sirius declared pounding one fist off his chest.

"Careful there now. If your head gets any bigger the 'Worlds Biggest Asshole' crown I was going to buy you won't fit."

Lily teased, her and her brother linking Sirius' left and right arms respectively.

They took their usual seats in the defence classroom and Tom flashed Nikoloas a soft smile before he stood up straighter as the other students piled in. They sat for merely a moment while Tom whizzed through the roll, ignoring Potter's name altogether. He relaxed his bent back as he looked up from the rollbook and clapped his hands together sharply.

"Alright you all know the drill by now. Up." He lifted his hands sharply to enunciate his order and the usual excited whispers filled the class as books were shoved unceremoniously into bags and wands were drawn. Sirius and Nikoloas slipped down to the back of the room-no one ever paid them any attention there-and bowed flamboyantly to each other. Sirius smirked and said "How 'bout we up the stakes? Loser buys Valentine's Day dinner."

"Alright." Nikoloas was about to say more when he caught sight of Lily and her partner. Lupin smiled softly, amber eyes glowing and white teeth showing. Fear submerged his body and *angryferaleyespeeredthroughtheholeinthetreeandnarrowedtherewasclawsandteethswipingathimfurlikeawetdogswaseverywhereheavyontopofhimohmerlinhewasgoingtodiethewerewofsgapingmawwasoverhimrankbreathburnedhisnoseandslivadrippedontohischinuntil he was yanked free and Sirius' eyes were boring into his and Nikoloas' boyfriends warm hand was the only thing grounding him though no one else had noticed.

"It's alright Nick just breathe, you're alright now."

Nikoloas managed to avoid a full-scale breakdown and slowed his breathing forcibly. Sirius nodded slowly and encouragingly.

"Thas' it sweetheart you got it."

He raised his wand and spells were shot from both wands with rapid fire. Dodging Sirius' jellylegs jinx Nikoloas cast a silent Incarcerous which Sirius blocked with a steady shield that held up against the barrage of spells Nikoloas continued to fling simultaneously.

Tom was making the rounds, correcting the stances and choppy wand movements and he barely restrained himself from rushing Nikoloas' side when his son began to shake slightly, eyes blown wide with fear. Eyes that were staring at none other then Remus Lupin. Analysing his knowledge on the boy, he connected the dots and breathed "Werewolf" inaudibly. What on Earth was Dumbledore thinking? No matter, it only added to the list of information he could use against the old bastard. But still….it was incredibly reckless, though through no fault of Lupin's own (Tom most certainly wouldn't hold his affliction against him) someone could get hurt. And judging by the look on his son's face, someone already had been.

By the time he managed to weave his way through the piggeldy gaggle of students Nikoloas seemed to have wrestled himself under control, which was beginning to worry Tom, he shouldn't be able to, nor have to, do it so quickly and he winced to himself knowing it was partially, if not totally his fault. Halting the (rather impressive) duel he bent down and placed his hand on Nikoloas' shoulder, pretending to correct his movements, though he didn't need to- his son was good, could probably give him a run for his money-and whispered "Are you alright?"

The boy nodded rapidly, his movements jerking his long hair back and forth. Tom squeezed his shoulder for a fleeting moment before dropping his hand and using the movement to slip a scrap of parchment into Nikoloas' pocket.

"Carry on, boys."

He nodded with a smile and left them to their vigorous battle, correctly guessing there was another bet going on.

Tom continued on and observed Lily Evans carefully. Her red hair swished like a whirlwind around her face as she moved with a practiced grace that confirmed her and the boys had been training together. The ferocity in her green orbs made him slightly worried for her fellow Gryffindors safety before he remembered his suspicions of Lupin hurting his Nick and deciding a few scrapes and bruises weren't a big deal. Merely a learning curve. He nodded decisively and stepped forward. "Flick your wrist just a little more Ms Evans. Intent in the spell is what truly matters, aswell as how much you power the spells."

She frowned. "Than why does my wrist flick matter sir?" Her curious question made Lupin take an interest too as he looked up from his shoes.

Tom smiled wryly. "So you don't get sore wrist while practicing the spell of course."

The two Gryffindors laughed. "Thanks sir." He was about to make a comment on Lupins grip when a victorious yelp of sorts drew his attention.

Sirius had won the duel, he had Nikoloas' wand but had gotten careless and so Nikoloas had apparently tripped him up by the looks of it. The two wands were comfortably in Sirius' hands, though his victory was dampened by the fact he had landed flat on his ass with an audible thump.

A giggling Nikoloas helped him up while he grumbled "I won the duel, you owe me dinner, sweetheart."

Tom shook his head. His earlier cup of tea had been absorbed and now he most definitely needed another. The bell rang and students left twice as fast as they had came, some yelling a hurried "Thanks Professor Riddle" over their shoulders.

*angry feral eyes peered through the hole in the tree and narrowed there was claws and teeth swiping at him fur like a wet dogs was everywhere heavy on top of him oh merlin he was going to die the werewolfs gaping maw was over him rank breath burned his nose and saliva dripped onto his chin until


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 21.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy, lemme know what you think.**_

Nikoloas twisted his hands together anxiously and then decided to take another sup of tea. A long sup of tea.

"So….how was your week?" Tom asked finally, breaking the heavy silence that had descended upon them.

"Good, yeah, fine. Uh yours?"

"Fine. Simply fine."

Nikoloas and his father cringed.

"Son...ah. I'm sorry. Hmm. Has anything been bothering you?" He offered.

Nikoloas shrugged, not willing to mention how Remus Lupin was showing up more and more often in his nightmares and around every corner during the day. Tom was too sharp, and honestly too blunt to deal with guessing games so he said "Anything to do with Remus Lupin?"

Nikoloas snapped his head up, his gaze leaving the black depths of his tea. "I can't tell you."

"Nikoloas, whatever it is it'll be alright-"

"No Father, I literally _can't_ tell you." He nodded his head with wide eyes and Tom snarled. "Dumbledore."

"Who else?"

"You were a minor, he shouldn't have been able to-"

He trailed off as Nikoloas looked as skeptical as he felt while saying such, the words unspoken between them. _Since when had that mattered to Dumbledore?_

Tom took a steadying deep breath and poured himself more tea. "Right then. Yes or no questions it is."

"I am correct in my assumptions that he's a werewolf yes?"

"Ding ding ding, ten points to Slytherin." Nikoloas waved his hands in a jazz-hands motion for sarcastic effect and Tom tried to look like a disapproving parent and didn't quite manage it.

"How did you find out? I gather you are prevented from speaking about his….illness but not how you came to discover it?"

"Nope, Dumbledore really covered all his bases. I can't breath a word about what I saw."

He drew his knees up to his chest and shivered, unconsciously rocking himself back and forward. Knowing it was high time to change the subject, Tom smiled falsely. "Have you managed to find how Lily keeps your dorm-mates quiet?"

A ghost of a smile brushed Nikoloas' lips. "No. Though I don't think she'd be above emasculating them all."

"Oh my." Tom felt simultaneously proud and weary.

"Yeah. Umm Father… can I ask you something?" Nikoloas peeked up through his growing fringe.

Tom almost said "always" before thinking better of it. "You may."

" Uh I-About the Wizengamot. Eileen Snape adopted me, in both worlds so I have the Prince seats. Just if you need them, to push any bills in your favour maybe. I was looking into it a little, I mean there's five so-"

"Thank you, Nikoloas. May I ask one last thing of you?"

His son lifted his head in response, the black hair falling away from his face like the curtains of a play on opening night, swaying and falling with ease. Instead of brightly coloured songs and people there was only a deep troubled darkness to be seen- in his eyes and under them in the form of dark, purple-ish shadows that were born from many a sleepless night. His consenting nod was heavy, as though it took all his energy to raise his head back up.

"What was the exact wording of the vow? Did you swear it as Severus Snape?"

Nikoloas' eyes sparkled as he hopped aboard his father's train of thought. "Yeah, yeah I did."

"Well there you have it than." Tom leaned back in his chair crossing his arms smugly. Pressing on gently his voice was a near-whisper as he said "You don't have to tell me now, or here. If you need to talk to someone, I know I might not be the first person you come to but do remember Lily and Sirius-"

"I can't talk to Sirius about it, he'll feel bad." Nikoloas murmured, increasing his rocking speed just a little.

"Why would he have reason to feel guilty?" Tom narrowed his eyes.

"No reason, nono it's fine." He looked up at Tom imploringly. "Please Father? It's fine."

Tom begrudgingly agreed to let it go.

When silence loomed over them again, Tom cleared his throat. "Nick, if you need to talk to someone, I mean I can arrange something-"

"You mean a therapist?!" Nikoloas jumped to his feet. "I'm _not_ crazy."

"Nononono I know that, I know that. Hushhh Nick hush." He managed to soothe Nikoloas enough to walk around his desk and rub his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Chamber?"

Nikoloas nodded jerkily and Tom speed-walked them both to the floor above and into the chamber with minimal fuss. Nikoloas collapsed on his hammock and seemed to calm as it swayed gently. When the rhythm faltered Tom took hold of the thick end of the blanket, stemming from each wall, and rocked gently.

"I'm sorry Father."

"Whatever for?" _This time._ He added. Nikoloas had quickly gotten into the habit of apologising for anything and everything again-something he'd done minorly wrong in class, the rare time he happened to be clumsy enough to break something or anything of the sort.

"For being such a mess." He laughed hollowly. "Whatever would she think of me?"

"While I am sure your mother is endlessly proud of you, would you like to know what I think?" It was a question, a genuine one and Tom would be alright if the answer was yes or no. It took a second but Nikoloas nodded minutely.

"I'm not sure what happened with the wolf, you may-or may not, tell me whenever you wish to, but whatever it is I believe you have repressed it. Buried it deep within your mind."

"Why?"

"Because it was too much trauma for your brain to handle. You knew you were going to have to go back to that bastard of a muggle for the summer and cope with Potter before that, you didn't have time to be weak or to have another fear, you couldn't afford any cracks. So you shoved it down to deal with it later and put up a front of sarcasm and teenage rage and angst. It's your mask. It protects you. Holds back the wave of problems and issues for 'later' but I think later might be now Nikoloas."

He carded a hand through his son's shaggy hair and said softly "You're so incredibly brave, stronger then some soldiers I have met. But no soldier survives the war without a little PTSD."

When Nikoloas nodded in understanding, he held up his hands. "You don't have to talk to some psychologist, but you do have to talk to someone ok? Just because the vow may not necessarily be binding doesn't mean you can automatically start talking about it straight away. I don't expect that of you. I am more then willing to listen. Anytime."

"Now?" Nikoloas blurted out, before burying his blushing face into the pillow. He hadn't meant for that to sound so desperate.

"By all means. Take your time. We can deal with Sirius' part in all this later."

"You didn't forget huh?"

Tom fixed him with a stern look. "No I mostly certainly did not."

Nikoloas sat up, tugging up at his shirt and wrinkling the fabric harshly.

"I just thought...I thought if I could catch him doing something bad then maybe, just maybe he'd get expelled or suspended or something. I only wanted him to be gone."

"Potter?"

Nikoloas nodded, evidently frustrated before shuddering. "I-I-I went down to the tree-"

"The mad one that waves it's branches around like Lily before she finds her 'lost' homework?"

Nikoloas chuckled. "Yeah. I knew there was something weird 'bout Lupin and I followed them and he-"

He closed his eyes and made a small choking sound.

"Just breathe, Nikoloas. You're here now alright? It's over."

"R-right. I went to the tree and it wasn't moving at all this time. It was only bright out because of the moon and, it was summer, but it was still really cold. I didn't bring a jumper. So cold." He murmured, rubbing his arms roughly. Tom hated it. Merlin, his son was traumatised beyond belief. "The tunnel was really tight too. I mean it wasn't." He amended. "But it started to feel like it at the end."

"What was at the end, son?" The Dark Lord prompted gently.

"The eyes Father, the _eyes._ " Nikoloas was staring into space now, his words speeding up just a little. "It jumped at me, the werewolf. It was heavier then you might think. Like a big wet hairy dog. That wanted to eat me. It had it's claws all over me and it crushed two of my ribs before Sirius pulled me out. Potter 'helped' "

He smiled bitterly.

"When we were in his office I'd lost nearly 2 pints of blood-Madame Pomfrey told me-and I was bleeding all over his chair and he told me I owed them a life debt, that I was lucky to not be expelled."

Tom sat in horror before forcibly trying to control his breathing and quitting before he leapt up and threw a table across the room. "I'll kill him. So help me Emma if the fucker even looks at me wrong I'll strangle him with his own beard and replace his eyes with lemon drops before his heart gives out!"

"Oh dear." Nikoloas muttered, "Father please."

"I think I may kill him Nikoloas. Sit back down and relax." His father seemed a little hysterical and Nikoloas gasped as he turned around. Toms eyes were turning red, the fiery colour bleeding into the calm blue and low growling was coming from his throat.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy, lemme know what you think.**_

"Father please calm down!" Nikoloas rushed to his father's side, hesitating before placing a shaking hand on his shoulder.

"You can't kill him now, he'll die as a martyr, a beloved headmaster and beacon of the Light. All the bills he wanted will go through out of sympathy."

"Right, right yes of course, you are correct. Very smart Nikoloas very smart."

Tom sighed and sat down on the hammock, patting the space beside him. "I'm sorry Nikoloas."

"It's ok. We all lose our temper sometimes." Nikoloas shrugged.

"No not for that. Well, yes for that but mostly because of all you've been through because of me. I should have protected you better. Instead I failed as a parent, not once but nearing three times. I let you slip through my fingers, and I let you go I didn't find you, didn't save you from that blasted muggle and Nikoloas, my dear darling Nikoloas I should never have put a hand on you son I'm so sorry, so so sorry." Tom voice cracked and Nikoloas worried-underneath his shock- that the all powerful Dark Lord was going to cry.

"I will make it up to you, I swear I will." He turned to face Nikoloas and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "I don't expect you to ever forgive me, not really, but I will hope for it." He brushed a thumb across Nikoloas' still too prominent cheekbones sadly.

Nikoloas rolled his eyes. "Well that was really sweet and depressing, Father thank you, but I have forgiven you. Seriously. I mean I'm courting Sirius Black of all people, do you really think I can't forgive and forget a little? Besides I'm kinda busy holding a grudge against Potter it's taking up all of the room in the bitter part of my heart." He nodded empathetically, finishing in a stage whisper, his father's hands on his shoulders preventing the wild gesture he was going to make.

"Oh sweet Merlin you're so like your mother." Tom pinched the bridge of his nose and slung an arm around Nikoloas' shoulders, pulling him in close for a quick one-armed hug.

"Really?" Nikoloas looked up at his father with a shy grin.

"Most definitely. Are you staying here for the night?"

Nikoloas hummed. "Yeah, probably. I hate the dorms." he confessed. "Too…" he made a face and flashed his hands. "Crowded and ...bleh."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "If you say so son. I have papers to correct."

He made his excuse yet seemed unwilling to leave.

"I'll be fine Father, honest. Would you kick Sirius down to me though? Please?" Nikoloas added, making puppy-dog eyes. Tom eyed him suspiciously, not in the least moved by his son's pleading look. "Why? He is not sleeping with you! No wandering hands and no-"

Nikoloas leapt into the incoming lecture, blushing as red as a Gryffindor banner. "NO! Father, he hasn't I mean, we haven't-I just want him to keep me company."

"Hmmm. Fine." Tom grumbled, giving Nikoloas' shoulder a quick squeeze before standing and gliding across the floor, with his robes billowing behind him as Nikoloas muttered. "Show off."

Not ten minutes later Sirius landed in the entry chamber with a walloping bang and proceeded to race into Nikoloas' little den area, his arms full of a heavy straw basket.

"What on Earth…..?" Nikoloas asked bewildered.

"I brought you your fluffy pjs-very cute by the way-and the elves loaded me down with piles of goodies. I think there's a flask of hot chocolate in here!" Sirius grinned, bouncing hyperly.

"I don't have fluffy pajamas." Was the first thing that spewed out of his mouth.

"Then be glad Tom bought you some babe." Sirius inclined his head, dropped the basket and hopped into the hammock, nearly bowling Nikoloas over in the process.

As they raided the basket with the dignity of hungry wolves Nikoloas took the new pajamas in his arms, feeling simultaneous gratitude and embarrassment because no-one had ever bought him anything so nice or warm or expensive and he was far too old for his Father to buying him pajamas of all things.

Sirius nudged his arm gently and handed him a styrofoam cup of creamy hot chocolate. They basked in the warmth from the drink and munched on the various biscuits and cakes Sirius had managed to con from the houselves.

Nikoloas hummed in satisfaction and leaned against Sirius sleepily even as something occurred to him. "You did get something for Lily didn't you? After I said it too you last week?"

"Um...when?"

"Last Wednesday?! At the Lake?! Oh Sirius you twat."

Sirius was floundering desperately trying to think of something, anything to get Nikoloas' stony glare away from him.

"Heyhey it's all good Nick don't even worry,we can...make her a cake or something."

Nikoloas looked incredibly skeptical. "You. You want to make a cake?"

"Yep. Sure. How hard can it be?" Sirius cringed.

The answer was hard. Very hard.

It had taken quite a lot of wheedling to even get the kitchen at all. "You see, she means the world to me." Nikoloas implored to the wide-eyed elves innocently.

"And I know it be so special in her eyes if we really went all out to do something hard working for her ourselves." He finished pleadingly.

"Is young sirs be sure they knows how to make Young Miss a cake? They is not needing Kaleys help?" The elves' Head Chef asked worriedly.

"...Yes, yes absolutely." Sirius wished he was as confident as he sounded.

As the grumbling elves cleared the kitchen Nikoloas turned to Sirius and said "Well? This was your idea, so I assume you have some kind of recipe?"

This he could do. Sirius pulled the crumpled napkin from his pocket triumphantly and instantly deflated. The ink had run and smudged so what had once been a fabulous cake recipe was a black blob on a dirty napkin.

Nikoloas remained unimpressed.

"Nice. Very nice."

"Er…..Nick?"

"Yes Sirius?"

"Do you ah know how to make a cake?"

"No. No I do not." Nikoloas sounded deceptively calm.

Sirius slumped forward. "Oh."

Nikoloas sighed, exasperatedly fond, and kissed Sirius on the cheek. "C'mon then. Lets go ask Father."

As they left through the painting, Sirius whined

"Aww no, do we have to? Can we at least not tell him I screwed up?"

"Oh what did you screw up this time Black?" Toms voice sounded from down the corridor.

"Oh, h-hey Professor what're you doing here?"

"In the castle? I work here. On this corridor? Its my patrol night. As if I wasn't busy enough already." He grumbled. "Nonetheless can I help you boys with something?"

"We're trying to make a cake for Lily. Umm do you-could you help us-me, please?"

There. That was significantly less stuttery then Nikoloas had feared.

"I shall try." Tom frowned. Nikoloas smiled gratefully. Sirius quivered.

They trooped back to the kitchen "Have you done this before?" Nikoloas asked tentatively.

"Once." Was all Tom said. Nikoloas set his mouth into a grim line. Lily was lucky he loved her so much. Hopefully the Girls' Day Alice Nelson had whisked her away for lasted another little while.

"Sir are you sure we need that many eggs?" Sirius' question to Tom broke Nikoloas out of his thoughts. That Girls' Day needed to become a Girls' Week. Nikoloas straightened his back and readied himself for war.

The kitchen in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked like a bombsite. And Tom would know. He rubbed the back of his hand over his forehead, unknowingly streaking lines of sugar in his wake. Nikoloas peered at the mixture they had managed to concoct like it may lunge from the bowl and eat him.

"I'm so very sorry sir, but don't we need flour?"

"Yes." Tom breathed. "Sure." After adding an amount of flour wearily the men slid the dish into the oven and ducked instantly, surprised there was no instant explosion.

When the twenty minute timer on Tom's wand dinged he spoke "Black go fetch the cake."

"Wh-why me?! Make him do it!"

Nikoloas leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest, looking affronted by the very thought. "You couldn't bribe me with twenty kisses Sirius!"

"He shouldn't be giving you kisses you at all! Never mind bribing you with them." Tom hissed at Sirius who squeaked and hurried to pull the hot confection from the oven.

"Um Kaley told me I'd find you all in here but I think I'm dreaming." Lily had shopping bags digging into her arms but looked so alight and happy Nikoloas was extremely glad he had declined her offer to go with them.

"Taaadaaaa." Sirius sang with jazz hands for affect. "We made you cake. With eggs and flour and real stuff." He bobbed his head up and down determinedly.

"You guys know I'm allergic to flour right?"

When their faces fell as one she laughed. "Just kidding, that was sweet of you. Thank You."

Tom sent a rapid glare her way and swept from the room with a begrudgingly muttered "Happy Birthday Ms Evans."

"Thanks Professor!" She yelled after him, before plopping down on the table.

"So what else did you boys do today?"


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

 _Ciao people thanks for reading happy holidays._

 _Also If anyone would be interested I'm planning to make a little one-shot series of this story, just little added bits that don't make it into the chapters. I mean...I'll do it anyway but if anyone's interested lemme know._

 _SWEARING IN THIS CHPATER BEWARE._

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up anything?" Nikoloas asked a slumped Sirius.

"Yeah it'll be fine Siri, the more shops the better." Lily grinned. Nikoloas closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Or better yet are you sure you don't want to come?" His eyes pleaded for Sirius' cooperation but his boyfriend shook his head.

"Naw I'm a little tired, I'd be a lightweight Nikoloas. You go on."

"You realise you can't be a lightweight 'cause we're not going to the pub right? But fine if you're sure." Nikoloas frowned and Lily linked his arm, making him skip from the chamber with her. Sirius waved them off and let his head droop back down into the hammock with a sad sigh. Merlin. That had been hard.

He would have felt happier if a damn dementor had been near. Trying to shake away the depression he sat up and swayed the hammock back and forth like a swing. Sirius flew off and shoved his hands in his pockets. He meandered up through the emptying halls of Hogwarts, students pushing past him in a rush to load into Hogsmeade carriages.

Sirius flattened himself against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. His shoulders sagged as Remus padded by with his book ever in his hand. He waited until the corridor cleared entirely and slunked out of the shadows. He trudged towards the Astronomy Tower to brood and smacked chest first into The Dark Lord.

"Ah, Black good, tell me where is Mr Snape?"

"He's in Hogsmeade sir." Sirius said flatly, making Tom frown above his head.

"And you're here." Tom voice was cold and hard which should have set off warning bells long before Tom grabbed his arm in a bruising grip and hauled him to the DADA teachers office.

Tom flung Sirius into a chair with a spinning flair that made Sirius dizzy. Tom glared at him from across the OCD levels of organised desk. "You moron!" Tom slapped his hand down on the stack of red slashed exams and Sirius reared back, feeling an almost nonsensical worry that he'd failed his exams or violated some kind of restraining order.

It turned out to be quite the opposite.

"You left him alone?! Who's with him?! Is Lily?! So help me Black if there is a hair on my little boys head ruffled I will skin you and flay your vital organs one-by-one!"

"Do you practice this shit in a mirror or what?"

" _Exc_ use me?" Sirius felt ice creep up his skin but stood his ground, his mess of teenage angst spewing out into rage at his boyfriends beloved Father.

"You heard me? Why do I always have to hold up everyone else? I'd like a bit of support sometimes too, you know?!"

Tom began to look rather alarmed. "Look Black I really don't want to know or, indeed, care about your angst-ridden lif-"

"I feel like everyone, even Nick, especially Nick, expects me to be strong and happy all the time but sometimes I feel shit too. And I miss Remus! And I think I'm failing potions and look look I have a giant pimple and Nick won't think I'm pretty anymore and-"

Tom's face was slowly descending into a permanent mask of sheer horror and he fell back into his chair, watching the ranting boy pace scuff marks into his good polished floor.

"Black, Sirius-" He tried to interrupt weakly but was quickly railroaded by a raise in volume and intensity of the angst.

"AND I think McGonagall knows what I did to Marlene and I can't find the library book I had to beg Madam Pince to let me take out."

Sirius paused for breath and Tom took this opportunity to open his secret compartmentalized desk drawer and pull out a bottle of whiskey before pouring them both a drink. He looked at his glass and at a near-tears Sirius and rolled his eyes before chugging straight from the bottle.

Sirius continued to list a myriad of problems that Tom could really care less about and gulped down his tumbler of whiskey before staring at Tom's untouched glass.

"You gonna drink that?" He flung it back and slumped into the chair.

"Are you backing out of the courtship?" Tom asked, resting his chiseled chin on laced fingers.

"Wha? Nooo I love Nick lots like Jellytots." Sirius slurred, already swaying in his seat.

"Bloody lightweight." Tom muttered resentfully.

"You realise, Black you moron, that you can cry on each others shoulders like perfectly respectable gay man equally don't you?" Tom inquired. "Nikoloas wouldn't mind, Merlin knows he'd probably offer you the soundest advice he'd never take himself."

"Your a good Dad." Sirius slurred. "'Cept for when your not. Which is like...a lot. But Nick thinks you're great." He giggled a hiccup. "Great like grated cheese."

"Get the fuck out of my office. Now."

Sirius laughed, standing up and swaying. "I'm a daffodil in the breeze."-

"I would have said more like a dandelion-"

"I'm as free as a kite."-

"As high as a kite."-

"I'm as joyful as a child." Sirius sang as Tom continued his version.

"As stupid as a child."

"Imma crash on your couch, 'kay? Tanks."

Sirius stumbled over to the couch his boyfriend frequently frequented and fell into a snoring slumber on the spot, much to Tom's eternal dismay. He hurried around his desk, standing by his bookshelf in wonderment of the boys nerve.

"No! No Black will you fu-"

"Ah Tom m'boy!"

"Good afternoon Albus. Set up any children for death lately?"

"Now Tom. You judge an old man too harshly. You are the one ruling your followers with an iron fist." Dumbledore held up his hands in a universal placating gesture but Dumbledore made Tom angry enough to fill his own universe so it had the opposite effect.

"Harshly? I think not. How can you sit there and lord over the foolish sheep you do without any of them knowing how you orchrestrated the death of an innocent mother and her child?"

"Your-ahem- wife was hardly innocent-"

"EVEN IF SHE WASN'T?!" Tom roared. "EVEN IF SHE WASN'T MY BABY WAS. MY CHILD WAS NEW TO THIS EARTH, AS INNOCENT AS ANY OF US GET IN THIS DAMNED WORLD. Tell me Albus," He lowered his voice "Did E-emma birth me a boy or a girl? I do not know. I will not know if you tell me the truth or not."

Dumbledore was frozen to the spot, praying nobody had heard the grief the Dark Lord in front of him had bottled up.

"What did you come here for, Albus? I was appointed by the Board of Governors, I am paid by the Board of Governors, so unless there is a fire you have no reason to invade my space."

The sudden switch in demeanors frightened the Headmaster almost as much as losing to Lord Voldemort did.

"You hardly loved them Tom." He reprimanded sternly.

Tom's eyes fluttered closed and a bitter laugh rose up in him. He let it bubble up and churn out of his mouth hysterically until tears poured down his face.

"You are truly insane." Dumbledore sounded nearly forlorn and Tom laughed harder.

"And you're a blind fool Albus. You judged a young, angry little boy too harshly and your world will pay the price. You're an old codger and a fool and I _will_ end you, I swear on my wife's soul I will end you."

Dumbledore couldn't whip up a reply to this, simply fled the room with what dignity he could muster and left Tom choking on incoming tears and an explosion of grief.

He turned his face to the window. A pale sun swamped the castle grounds, bathing Hogwarts and all her glory in a forever royal-looking light though this did not bring Tom joy. Something about it felt final, ominous somehow. The fear of loss caught his throat in a bear trap and he let his head hang.

"Holy Hell dude are you ok? That was intense."

Tom pointed his wand at a very hungover Sirius Black and snapped "I thought you passed out peacefully hours ago. On my sofa. Uninvited."

"Oh I did, very peacefully thank you. Woke up just in time to see you and Dumblegoat go-head-to-head in a sparring match to the word-death. You were window-brooding for a very long time afterwards and I didn't want to interrupt in case you burst out into a ballad so…."

"What is wrong with you."

"Meh there's a list. Ask my mother, she'll give it to you. With some tea and few m'lords thrown in there. Just beware she'll try to fling my cousin Bellatrix at you 'cause that bitch is wild and now no poor asshole wants to marry her.

Hey so is this whole thing between you and Dumblegoat just like a dick measuring contest to see who can kick who out of Hogwarts and power first or what?"

"Black you had better be still inebriated."

"Say does he come in to try threaten you often? He needs practice. He's not very good at it."

"Lumos!" Tom snapped and Sirius howled as demon light pounded his head against Stonehenge rocks and he crumpled to the floor. "Nonnononono. No demon light. Ack nooo Nick savee me." He flung a hand over his eyes and whined like a invalid dog. As Sirius groped around the floor, feeling frantically for something to cover his eyes, Tom took great pleasure in kicking any such thing out of his way.

Nikoloas wondered rather aimlessly into his father's office, hoping to have a chat about how traumatising shopping was and if Tom had any Dark Lord tips but stopped dead when he saw Sirius rocking back and forth, in a ball, under Tom's desk, while aforementioned man cackled with the subtlety of a fiction villain.

"I'll just come back later." He called out. Hissing "Father?" in parseltongue and receiving no response from the preoccupied man he turned and left in bewilderment.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

 _ **Apologies for the wait people's I had a really hard time deciding where to go with this. So let me know what you think.**_

Nikoloas sneered in concealed horror as Dumbledore, looking a bit worse for wear, his reputation having taking a hit with all the rumours and Wizengamot trouble 'Lucius' was causing him, stood and spread his hands wide. His bright greenly lit robes caused the room a humongous general eyesore and even the Slytherins looked ashamed of their house colours, tugging disgustedly at their robes as leprechauns bounced around the great hall, chugging pots of gold at people.

"Beloved members of Hogwarts. In our newfound tradition of being open-minded it has been decided that we shall celebrate muggle holidays each year, starting with our week's long Saint Patrick's Day!" As he finished trumpets exploded and Nikoloas could see McGonagall looking pale and from what he could read of Tom's lips, his father was shaking his head and muttering "Too far, he's gone too bloody far. I can't...my eyes."

Sirius was of the opposite opinion, chugging down drinks and frowning when he realised they weren't alcoholic. No doubt that would all have changed by later tonight, the Gryffindors reputation exceeded them. Nikoloas grimaced yet again as the night sky revealed a full moon and an absent Remus Lupin. A smoky tendril of fear gripped Nikoloas' spine and he firmly corrected his posture, sitting rimrod straight and continuing to push dyed green mashed potatoes around his plate.

As if Halloween and Christmas weren't bad enough. The disbelieving dinner crowd soon dispersed, reminiscent of birds migrating south. There was something urgent about it, as though if they stayed any longer they feared their eyes may bleed. At least, Nikoloas did. Lily was very much in agreement if her mumbled "Oh sweet Merlin!"s muffled against his arm were any indication. They reached the chamber sans Sirius, much to Nikoloas' disconceration and after a lengthy internal debate he left the passage a crack open, and allowed Lily to guide him down the grimy steps with her happy flow of chatter.

When a none-too-sober Sirius did eventually arrive, something churned in Nikoloas' stomach and he had to centre his thoughts and remind himself not everything revolved around him and his issues, he couldn't go on like this and Sirius reeking of more alcohol than a bar was no big deal. Until, that is, the older boy hmmed affectionately and leaned down to kiss him.

Something in Nikoloas lurched, his stomach rolling in time with both his hands as he managed to stop Sirius dead in his tracks. Looking at his boyfriend's shaking hands on his chest with a modicum of confusion, Sirius mumbled "Wassup Nick? Y'alright?"

"I'm good." He lied, it falling from his tongue, like a dribble of melted chocolate. It was odd how good it felt to hide again, squirreled away behind masks and lies. Weeks of open and honest therapy with Tom had left him feeling slightly open and a little ...bruised if he was honest. Between a full moon and Sirius' drinking, kissing was the last thing he felt like doing never mind anything else. God didn't that make him selfish what did it matter if it was just a drink or two Sirius didn't have to live his life in adherence to Nikoloas' delicate sensibilities.

The words made sense to his brain but his mouth tasted bitter. "I think I'll retire for the night, boys." Lily stretched out languidly.

"It's only 8." Nikoloas half-whispered in a weak protest, hiding his relief with a marble slate mask.

"I wanna shower and stuff before bed and retire early. Maybe read an actual book." Lily sighed wistfully and that was enough to haul the ragtag gang from the hammock, their legs stiff and creaking in protest from a long sitting session.

Nikoloas walked his friends back to their common room, consenting to a kiss on the cheek from Sirius-and pushing away his hands yet again-and a hug from Lily who gripped his chin and narrowed her all-seeing eyes at him.

"Go to bed. In Tom's rooms so I know you'll sleep."

He managed a sarcastic "Yes your majesty." before they ducked in through the portrait out of sight.

Almost on instinct he slunk into the shadows and allowed his weary feet to carry his speeding self to his father's rooms, past his office and straight to his chambers.

Nikoloas' body worked faster than his mind, dragging him to the bathroom as his lost the contents of his stomach, his wet salty tears cooling against the porcelain tiles. He felt his Father's hand rub his back as he dry-heaved and felt like his stomach may come out through his chapped lips.

It was with no great measure of relief that he collapsed back into Tom's clumsily awaiting arms. Gestures of affection weren't often passed between them and Nikoloas could tell Tom was unsure of his own capability to rock a teenager on a cold bathroom floor .

"Did you get your hands on some of that damn spiked butterbeer?" Tom queried gently and Nikoloas shook his head.

"No? Did something bad happen? Did someone hurt you?"

Nikoloas began to feel like a dunderhead as he once again shook his head negative.

"What drove you here then, hmm?" Tom's voice was carefully controlled, if not slightly patronising and Nikoloas couldn't tell if he was angry or not. That thought was still frightening but was quickly abandoned as the Dark Lord, seeing his son was not in an 'opening up' mood resorted to one of their many dubbed 'Therapy Techniques' : The Guessing Game. And he was generally very good at it.

"Lily?" Negative.

"Sirius?" There. A minute flinch.

"Did he hurt you at all?" A slow head shake had Tom humming at the challenge before it clicked.

"Was it the beer Nikoloas?"

Heavy eyes, with more baggage than an airplane, looked up at him soulfully before his son let out a pitiful wail and flopped back into his arms with a new round of sobbing worries.

Sirius stepped up into his empty dorm room and plopped audibly on his bed and giggled at the sound it made.

He was humming happily to himself as Dorcas Meadowes stepped unnoticed into the room.

"How'd ya get in here?" He asked with a frown. "James is suspended so he ain't here, damn toerag."

"I'm not here for James silly." She batted her eyelashes in a way that was intended to be flirtatious and maybe would have been if Sirius has been so inclined but he was not and asked "Than wha-?"

She pressed a finger to her lips and giggled, a high pitched drilling sound which made Sirius wince even as he accepted the full bottle she gave him. He swigged from it, not seeing as her eyes gleamed in satisfaction.

She flicked open her top shirt button as his eyes glazed over before leaning over and planting his lips on hers.

Nikoloas prodded the floating marshmallows on top of the hot chocolate his father had so proudly gifted him with a hint of suspicion.

The concoction looked strange and he should know, he had tried many an experimental potion. A soft thump brought him out of a possible formulae list for the hot cocoa powder, as Tom placed a leather-cracked book on the coffee table beside the couch that doubled as Nick's bed and patted it softly.

"Though you might want this." Nikoloas smiled up at him shyly and Tom smirked back, despite the semi-awkwardness the moment was descending into.

Nikoloas cleared his throat and picked up the book, losing himself in ingredients and the smell of old leather-bound paper. Tom tucked the blanket up around him, looking the epitome of fussing Dark Lord who looked like he did not want to look like he was fussing.

The thought tickled Nikoloas as he slept fitfully, waking to a stone of dread in his chest and a weight dragging down his heart.

He shook it off as he went about his monotonous morning routine and traversed to Gryffindor's common room. "Good morning ma'am." He turned a charming smile on the Fat Lady who recognised him as a friend of Lily's and giggled before swinging open to let him into enemy territory. He gripped his wand as Lily rushed down the stairs to meet him. The silence was that of an empty library until one Seventh year whispered to her friends and it spread like wildfire. This was nothing new or concerning until he caught wind of a chuckled "Sirius Black." that made his blood stop in his veins and the air in his lungs short-circuit out.

Had something happened to Sirius? He rushed past the fools and leapt up to the boys dorms, knowing it would be Marauder free. Nikoloas burst into Sirius' room and froze, confusion taking hold of him, horror clutching his soul and betrayal choking him.

An empty bottle rolled to his feet and he ignored it in favour of staring at his dishevelled boyfriend and destroyed dorm. Fluffy toy stuffing littered the room, as did other objects-racquets and playing cards for example-as well as a whole wall decked out in what appeared to be a game of X's and O's.

But none of this was what held Nikoloas' gaze. Despite the wild night Sirius had clearly had, the most damning evidence was the lipstick smudges dotted all over his body.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chp. 25**

 ** _Hi Guys thanks for your support and sorry for the wait. please let me know what you think of this chapter._**

Nikoloas stared, distraught. Lily flitted about the room, picking something up, examining it than discarding it in confusion.

"I've no idea what happened here Nick but I'm certain it's not what you're thinking ok so just calm down yeah? I mean besides how much he obviously loves you, it's against all the contract terms."

Her simple words did nothing to soothe him and he started to tremble. "But how could he even let that wench get so close to him?" his lip curled in disgust.

"How drunk must he have been?"

He picked up the bottle at his feet and peered inside.

"Lily will you get Tom for me?"

She nodded and went to do so, squeezing his shoulder as she passed.

Glad he had no classes that morning, Tom was at his son's side in one moment and took only two more to deduce what had happened, before striding to Sirius, flipping his wand in the air, the Yew stick transfiguring into a fire poker as he went.

He was only slightly derailed by Nikoloas' pleading protests, until Nick shoved the bottle under his nose. Tom's wand arm fell to his side, twitching as he examined the bottle.

"I own a whiskey of this make." Tom said solemnly after a minute. "It is not usually quite this colour though." He rolled the dribble left around the glass bottle, the liquid rolling and crossing over the gleaming glass bottom.

The Dark Lord had a frown mirroring his son's, down to the last little crease between dark eyebrows as both men pondered over a strange addition to the drink.

Sirius chose this moment to wake up from his drunken stupor with a heavy pain-laden groan. He looked at himself, his wreck of a dorm room and his boyfriends blank mask before screaming in terror.

Tom snickered and Nikoloas swirled around to glare at him.

"Hey Nick. Um...what happened to me?" Sirius wished his hands were as steady as his voice.

"I don't know, would you like to tell me?" Nikoloas' voice was as sharp as the pieces of glass Tom wanted to embed in Sirius' head.

"You mean, you didn't-you didn't do this? Like as...as a prank?" He looked around the room and the people in it desperately, not knowing what to tell his furious betrothed. Or his father. Just not knowing period.

No-one else did either. Nikoloas pursed his lips, reinforcing his emotional dam with steel rods, Tom rolled his normal wand between long slender fingers in clear protective papa-bear mode and Lily's eyes were wide and tearfilled, searching for any clue of his innocence.

"Shit." Sirius ignored his headache. "Nick babe, I don't what happened but-" He had to swallow twice when Nikoloas turned his head away in revulsion at the pet name, but continued on anyway

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out ok? I swear it can't be what it looks like, it just can't. I could never do that to you, never. Even under the influence of _that_." He looked at the bottle of whiskey in clear disgust.

"This is not yours?" Tom questioned.

"Good Merlin no, I'd never buy that crap. Even the good brands." Sirius pulled a face.

"That aside-"Nikoloas pushed in. "Whatever you did or didn't do last night is your fault. Anything could have happened and you were too damn drunk to notice." The words were angry but it was the monotone voice in which Nikoloas said them that made Sirius' heart leap out of his chest.

Instinct spurring him, he lunged from the bed and grasped at Nikoloas, wanting only to cry for forgiveness but was blocked by the solid wall that Lily and Tom's hands made flung across his chest.

Up close and with the ability to see through the emotionless barriers that their time together had given him, Sirius could see the fury boiling over in Nick. He'd seen volcanoes cooler. As he reached closer Nikoloas went completely blank before rearing back a fist and laning a solid punch on Sirius' face, followed by a Scourgify and, oddly enough, a warming charm.

"You are sure this is not yours?" Nikoloas asked calmly, as though he wasn't the cause of the nosebleed blood clogging Sirius' mouth.

"It's the one thing I can guarantee." Sirius coughed a mouthful of blood onto the floor and wiped the robe Tom flung at him (muttering he had no desire to see Sirius naked for any longer than he had to) under his stained nose.

"Which meant someone else was here." Nikoloas muttered.

"I don't remember." More panic was starting to contract his chest. "I always remember always, even when I get completely smashed at those awful Yule balls."

"I need your blood." Nikoloas stopped the frantic pacing he had started and turned expectantly towards Sirius, though unwilling to meet his eyes. The young Black handed it over without question even as Tom snarled "Yeah so do I. As it stands you have a whole lot of detention coming your way Black. With me." A menacing smile distorted Tom's features and he was simply itching to lunge himself at Sirius. His restraint was crumbling like a shortbread biscuit when Nikoloas deducted swiftly. "There is a ...possibility he may have been poisoned?"

"A large possibility?" Lily asked hopefully.

"I don't know yet." Nikoloas murmured, dropping his hold on Sirius' wrist like it was a venomous snake.

After a moment of increasing awkward silence passed, Nikoloas muttered. "I'll just go work on that blood test than." He scurried out with the decorum of a mouse with Lily on his heels. She turned and stopped before the doorway, hair flashing and frizzing out in her anger.

"Fix this, you dunderhead!"

With the other students gone, Tom's full attention was on Sirius, who started to back up slowly as though he was cornered with a deadly predatory zoo animal. Tom wasn't feeling far off it.

"I told you. I warned you would happen if you hurt him. If you upset my baby boy." Danger dripped from each flick of Tom's tongue as beads of sweat started to dribble in quick succession from Sirius' temple.

"I didn't mean to, I really wouldn't- I don't remember-"

"Try harder." Tom purred, his body posed as lithe as a panther. "Or I will do so for you."

"How you gon' manage that?" Gryffindor bravery drove Sirius to jut out his chin in a shaky act of defiance.

Tom barred pearly white teeth. "This might hurt a little." As he moved with one fluid motion, he had a struggling Sirius by the chin "Actually, I lie. This will hurt a lot." He drove into Sirius' mind, barraging through any semblance of Occlumency guards like a champion ice skater. The memory he was looking for was buried deeper than any crypt and it took pulling and yanking through the hazy fog that came with mind tampering to get to it.

Pleased when he saw a fifth year Gryffindor girl kiss Black-this was justification enough to kill him surely-his smugness faded like a popped balloon when he pushed her away adamantly. When she refused to leave and tried to trail a hand up his thigh he yelpingly suggested they play a game. The disgruntled girl scowled but indulged him.

Three games of giant X's and O's, two of indoor tennis, a teddy bear fight, a Ultimate Frisbee tournament and several games of charades later and Tom was in tears. The boy was really pulling out all the stops to stop that girl from putting her hands on him, by any means necessary expect for actually kicking her out of the room. The Dark Lord didn't think he'd laughed this much in years and his ribs were starting to hurt. He refocused as the girl practically poured the whiskey down Sirius' throat and he hummed in peace, barely aware as she advanced on him.

Tom began to feel a bit sick but stuck through, before withdrawing and snatching a bucket lying around for Black to empty his guts into.

When the groggy boy looked up he asked "I didn't sleep with her , did I? I mean, did she, did we?" He waved his hands helplessly.

"No you didn't. She barely kissed you, hence those"-he gestures to the magically duplicated lipstick marks- "when you quite literally threw her from the room. I believe she had enough evidence to convince the masses you copulated however."

The nasty barrage of swear words that exploded from Sirius' mouth was enough to make the parent in Tom scowl and think of reaching for a bar of soap.

"Shit…...shiiit."

"So crass." Tom rolled his eyes.

"Poor Nick I know he says he don' care about the staring but if they start sneering at him I'm going to deck em all."

Tom's scowl was now firmly etched in his face like ancient hieroglyphics.

Stupid noble Gryffindor's and their stupid stupidity.

He stunned the fretting boy and swept towards the door, before hesitating and cleaning the mess with a grudging flick of his wand. There. No-one could say he hadn't helped. Not that any of the children would say that to his face. Tom nodded shortly to himself and glided from the gaudy dorm, looking ever like a vision of contemptuous grandeur.

The crowd of insipid eavesdropping sheep scattered from the door like ants, parting and scramming like the Biblical Red Sea upon his exit.

"I see it would be prudent of me to inform you all that Sirius Black remains relatively unscathed." Many of his yearmates looked down guiltily at scuffed suede Mary Janes or faded loafers for that hadn't been their intention at all.

No wonder Dumbledore set fire to the curtains in this place, The Dark Lord didn't think the vibrant redness would ever leave his mind's eye. Blinking at a wall on his way to the Potions corridor he grimaced when red spots remained and quickened his steps to get to Nikolos just a little faster, hopefully in time to cease any self-destructive actions in time. He knew his son, or himself rather, too well. But no Nikoloas looked rather at peace, stirring a pale bubbling potion with a calm facade settling over his pale face, no more disturbed than a gentle meditative pool of water. Tom however was disturbed greatly by this and started off with "I didn't kill him."

Nikoloas looked up, nodded and dipped his head back down so that his lengthening locks covered his visage from his family's concerned eyes.

Lily edged forward. "Nick, d'you-d'you want help?"

"No thank you Lily. This is quite manageable."

"Son…." Tom stopped there because he had simply no idea what to do, except leave with a despondent Lily. Leave Nikoloas behind raising plumes of smoke, curling protectively around his carefully constructed mask of tranquillity. Alone.

Guilt pierced Tom organs like shards of broken rib and he nearly doubled over in pain and anguish. He was very nearly useless at solving any emotional quandary of his son's, that was always Sirius' job. They had grown so close over such a short course of time, maybe such a thing was bound to happen? Nikoloas was only going to detach and shut down and maybe it was all Tom's fault for allowing it and not just killing the Black brat on the spot why couldn't he have been able to see this coming, if he was supposed to truly have any parental instincts at all why did all Fates knives end up through his son?

Steel replaced old Slytherin blood as determination flooded Tom like a broken dam. He could not piece Nikoloas back together like a child mashing torn jigsaw pieces together before throwing a tantrum and demanding they fit, he could not, Nikoloas had to do that himself but he could certainly make it safe for him to do so. And that meant getting Dumbledore out of Hogwarts altogether. For if Dumbledore ever found out that they knew the truth, that Nikoloas' power political and magical, between his parents seats combined as well as the Princes, he could crush Dumbledore like a moulding strawberry.

It made him a threat. And Tom knew all too well what happened to those who tried to overthrow the King.

But it was time to toss the chessboard and light fire to the pieces. It was time for war of a different kind.

Sweat was sponged onto his brow permanently now and his hands had started to shake from exertion hours ago. What time that had been and what time it was now hardly mattered to him as Nikoloas' reeling mind and heart demanded he push his body well past his limits, his need for food and rest. Sleep would have eluded him anyway, for the dorms were not safe, no matter his wards, and the Chamber was shrouded in more memories than a bride's wedding veil. Tom had showed him the memory indeed but even then a fish hook of emotions scraped at him. He needed something...more concrete, more solid. Memories could be tampered with and the fact that he had to suspect his boyfriend of doing such a thing made him sick.

At least if the potion-a concoction he was brewing up from a mixture of several others-proved that Sirius' blood sample contained a love potion etc. he would know for sure. A darkest depression had stained him for the past few days, without Sirius to pull him from the dark self-spiteing void that his own thoughts became.

As the scalding liquid came to a rest, so did he. Forcing his long shaking legs to bow into a chair, a small yet ferocious shudder wrecked his spindly frame as a Tom-shaped whirlwind burst through the door, slamming the heavy, expensive iron-welded door into the wall and neatly skirting it's rebound.

"You are grounded." Tom told him firmly as Nikoloas looked up in shock.

"Why?!" he demanded.

"Honestly child, here I was thinking you were perhaps busy, staying with Lily for comfort"-Tom nodded sagely here- "but no she tells me she hasn't seen you outside of classes for days for you told her you were with me! I told you I would not abide lies Nikoloas!"

Nikoloas' own temper was brewing but he looked at his father-truly looked and seen dark, almost pinchable bags shadowing his eyes, the stress wearing him down and slumping his shoulders.

He refocused just in time to hear the indignant "-and do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry for worrying you Father." he said primly and Tom looked at him with the expression the action of a faceplant conveyed.

Tom began to mutter "Stupid, dear darling child. Stupid Gryffindor's. Stupid Lucius." He was pouting again too and Nikoloas felt a giggle boil in his stomach.

"What exactly will my grounding entail Father?"

Tom forze. What kind of question was that? Was he supposed to have something prepared in advance? Was a grounding like a personal detention? His alarm rose exponentially. Was this what his students felt all the time?

.

He cleared his throat about as confidently as Nikoloas was holding the bottled potion and said "Well seeing as it is approaching the weekend and the esteemed Headmaster has declared Monday to be a free day due to a holiday of banks-" his nose wrinkled in confusion- "I am confining you to our quarters so you will adequately rest."

"So...my punishment is to sleep?"

"What? Good Heavens no, you can copy lines or correct essays for me or something." Tom brushed a careless hand through the dank air and tapped his foot impatiently. "Now….test that potion for your own peace of mind so you can go shower and sleep."

Both men waited with bated breath as Nikoloas dribbled Sirius' blood into the potion and waited as it glowed through the room, screaming its result.


	26. Chapter 26

Chp.26

 _Hi guys, you're all going to think I'm insane. I'm not. I solemnly swear. Err comment please?_

Tom sat in the darkest, shadiest chair in the gloomiest corner of the staff room shrouded in shadows as he muttered disparagingly into his whiskey.

Seeing Nikoloas kiss Black like that really served to remind him of how grown up Nick truly was. So many missed years he'd never get back.

He knocked back his whiskey and clenched the diamond encrusted glass in an unyielding fist.

Content to sit and lament some more he remained forcefully ignorant as someone swung Dumbledore back and forth on the roof by his beard, the staff annual party in full swing.

Scowling at the bright flashy party lights encroaching on his Moping Corner-(Minerva had dubbed it so for he sat in that chair in that corner during meetings whenever it had been a hard week)-Tom focused on how much he missed Nagini.

Dumbledore had lost his ridiculous half-moon glasses at this point and Tom resisted the urge of a gleeful child to go stomp on them and cackle majestically. Items were chucked from the old goats pockets at breakneck speed as he whizzed back and forth on the roof.

Odd trinkets and bobs were projectiled at Tom's face, an ornate silver spoon hitting his chest solidly.

He picked it up, humming skeptically. He liked this, it was shiny and it was Dumbledore's so he was going to have it.

Nodding decisively he slipped the spoon into his pocket, proud of his latest conquest. Until it shrieked.

Tom ripped it from his pocket in alarm.

"Oh thank heaven." The spoon gasped. "It was awful in there, did u scrunch up a tissue or somethin'?"

Tom stared. And stared some more. What the actual-

"What? You aint ever seen a talking spoon before? Mirrors still talk in this day and age don't they? Just rudeness." The Spoon huffed.

"Apologies." Tom murmured in response, almost instinctively before wondering "What in the name of Merlin does he need a talking spoon for?"

"Ah so Merlin made himself great did he?! Oh laddie I knew he would."

"Did you now?" Tom felt a little dizzy and decided maybe whiskey was not the best choice of evening drink and maybe he should stop lest he hold another conversation with a spoon.

"Why yes for I am Sir Ulysses K. Arlington Junior." The spoon seemed to expect something following this and when all that escaped Tom's lips was an awkward "Errrrr…." he gasped.

"They did not tell tales of the tragedy of the famed fourth apprentice of Merlin, who took a mispronounced spell for him?"

"Ah yesss."

"What do you do for a living? You're a terrible liar."

"At least I'm living." Tom snapped.

Oh Merlin. What was he doing? Scurrying up and away from his spot, he skirted around his drunk colleagues and ducked back to the safety of his rooms where Nickoloas was settled firmly on the couch a smile on his sleeping face, no doubt caused by the gifts engulfing his room. A cart worth of flowers rested by one end of the couch, stacks of chocolates piled unsteadily on the table on the other end and Nikoloas was covered in more blankets than Tom knew he owned, different fabrics and darkening shades covering his whole body thoroughly spread like a careful wing with space left- if Nikoloas was to reach out and stretch his feet out there would still be blanket to cover him.

Tom glowered. Stupid Black. Despite Nikoloas' reassurances that he was not to blame for his drugged actions, the older boy had still felt awful and had taken to spontaneously splattering Nikoloas in odd smatterings of things he liked at any time during the day. Tom still thought he was too forgiving. Just like his mother.

He pressed a kiss to Nikoloas' forehead, chuckling darkly at the wand that raised itself to his neck in his son's sleeping reflex upon someone invading his personal space. Tom busied himself with making a good cup of tea in hopes that it would dull his inevitable hangover and 'patted' his pocket, crushing the spoon into pocket fluff and grime. He smirked as it squealed in protest and settled behind his desk with a twisted grin. Pulling a gasping spoon out his pocket, Tom huffed.

"Stop that, you don't have lungs to suffocate with." He reprimanded.

"Well if I did you would have just crushed them." The Spoon shot back defensively, appearing to be...sulking.

Tom propped it…..him….The Spoon against the stack of essays mixed with Dark Lord paperwork that he had yet to touch and faced it seriously.

He opened his mouth to begin his Very Threatening Speecht ™ when the spoon shrieked and slid sideways. Tom blew out air from his mouth thinly and plucked the most important bits from his speech, when it became apparent that the Spoon could not stay upright for any length of time.

His bad-guy atmosphere had rather fallen flat by then so he settled with, "You have been residing in Dumbledore's office for quite some time so I give you an ultimatum-tell me his plans or I will make you. You'll find I'm very persuasive." He bared his teeth and the spoon scoffed until Tom dangled him over the brew of tea and it shrieked. "Never."

"We'll see." Tom said simply cackling at his plan for the morning.

When the harsh paling sun assaulted his eyes, Nikoloas rolled over and landed suspended in a hammock of blankets from the couch. He flailed his feet in light protest and muttered a few choice swear words until Tom said "Language, before I wash your mouth out with soap."

Nikoloas huffed, reefed the blankets off his scalding body and stomped the the small coffee table where porridge with a silver spoon awaited him. Seeing that Tom was sipping his tea smugly and smirking even more smugly than usual over his morning Prophet, and sensing the ambient magic emanating from the spoon, Nikoloas inwardly sighed. Had his Father taken to charming spoons now? He hoped insanity was not a hereditary trait. He lifted the spoon to his mouth and swallowed the porridge off of it.

"AAAAAAHAH." Screamed the spoon.

"AAAAaaah Father!" Nikoloas squealed, flinging the _sentient_ spoon onto the table.

His father, aside from plopping another spoon into his porridge and patting his head, ignored him and let out a triumphant yell.

He snatched the crying spoon from the table and said "Ready to talk now?"

"Very well, I'll tell you!" Gasped the spoon dramatically.

What….the actual fuck?

"Father…."

"Eat your breakfast son. And have a good day. Make sure you have lunch and go to all your classes. And do your homework." Tom reminded him before kissing him on the forehead and sweeping into his office with a flourish of his cape.

Nikoloas stood still for a good minute, frozen in numbing shock before the academic in him bubbled up with excitement. What kind of spells did that? And for enchantment to last long enough that it actually seemed to preserve or at least significantly lengthen a lifespan? His eyes gleamed at the new project their trio would undertake and he shovelled porridge down his throat and skipped off to find his friends.

Tom interlinked his fingers and rested his evil-grinning face on them.

"Lets start small shall we?" He purred.

"What are you, boy? Who was that brats mouth you put me in?"

Tom banged the spoon off the table. "Don't call my son a brat! I am the Dark Lord Voldemort!" Tom raised his head proudly.

"OOOh yeah. You're that Riddle kid right?"

Tom's ego deflated.

"Yeah the boss man don't like you all that much, something about too much power and plan ruining. Also makes him mourn over a Gellert but anywho."

Tom got the sense the spoon was shrugging.

"What plans?" Tom bit out.

"Aaaah so that brat is _your_ brat, righ', righ' I geddit. You've cheated the old bastard than? Good on ya, good on ya, his beard was always awfully ticklish. Why in my day…"

Twenty minutes later and Tom wanted to cry. The spoon was recounting the time Merlin and Morgana had "gotten the cauldron bubbling, if you know what I'm sayin' " after dramatically retelling his life story until Tom had forgotten that _he_ was supposed to be the torturer here.

"Dumbledore! Please can you just stick to him?"

"Hmph. Well you're no fun. It all started a long time ago, it was quite a downy day when we-"

"Cliff. Notes. Version."

"He got me as a gift from his smelly thief friend." The spoon grumbled.

"Mundungus Fletcher?" Tom sat up straight. Consorting with criminals for favors? The old bastard never changed.

"And?" He spat impatiently. "Anything else?"

"Oh he's got a number of tabs on your boy and those rowdy Gryffindor fools, including the wolf one."

"Tabs? What do you mean tabs?" Tom felt the fingertips of alarm brush his throat and he coughed hastily.

"Oh tabs on his magic, his Gringotts entries, that sorta thang you know. But he doesn't look at them all that often because the Snape boy wasn't destined for anything but a dark road of disaster. You had better hope that the boy reaches his majority unscathed because it'll rupture the oul goats plan if he don't."

"What does unscathed involve?" Tom's breathing began to hitch.

"Anything that tips the dear esteemed Headmaster off that he knows his true identity. You had better watch your interactions with the lad less you tip him off. His….consorting with the Gryffindor ruffian is already making him pull out the instruments from the cupboard."

"Why?!" Tom demanded. If Black put his son in any danger…..

"Well he had no need to monitor him if Severus Snape was just going about his days miserable did he? You've altered a lot of his plans I'll tell you that boy." Despite the joyous tone the spoon finished his proclamations with, Tom felt sick. He'd done this. His reappearance into his son's life had put him in danger. Oh Emma what did he do now? Did he tell Nikoloas, get him to stay away, convince Dumbledore he had another scheme for being here? Or just leave, no he couldn't do that to Nick, it would be suspicious too. Tom put his head in his hands and gasped in lungfuls of air as though it would never be enough.

Albus Dumbledore emptied another shelf full of trinkets designed to make him look eccentric with a bellow of rage. If anyone picked up that damn spoon his plans could be ruined. His reputation was already fading, the defeat and fear from Grindelwald dying. He needed another Dark Lord to defeat, another bitter soul to 'save', he need Tom and his damned son to stay the pawns they were. Desperately casting yet another summoning charm he sunk into his ornate chair in despair, his dread increasing as a Gringotts owl plummeted to his desk.

Scanning the letter his feet to his beard trembled in rage. He could truly do without this right now.

 _Chief Warlock Dumbledore_

 _It has come to my attention, and therefore yours as the agreement of our deal states., that one of whom you have asked me to watch will be coming into an inheritance soon enough, within the month, His son._

 _Awaiting your instruction_

 _Grinder,_

 _Gringotts Offices._

Dumbledore growled and balled up the parchment in his wrinkled fist, ink dribbling down his sleeve. He stepped towards his floo, his age not having any effect on the remarkable agility that his anger gave him. It was time to involve the Princes.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Hey guys, thanks for reading, comment if you like, or if you notice anything wrong so I can fix it. Much thanks.**_

 _ **Chapter 27**_

When a rather persistent owl delivered the third summons from Dumbledore that day, Nikoloas began to worry. He set the latest demand to see the Headmaster immediately aflame and shovelled his books back into his bag before carefully tiding away the volatile ingredients left over from the bubbling potion on the worktop.

He had barely made it down the corridor when a harried-looking McGonagall stalked towards him, her hair slipping from it's severe bun and her glasses askew. He paused and took a step back.

"Professor?"

"You are to come with me right now Mr. Snape, right now, it is the height of rudeness to ignore the Headmaster!"

She ignored his protests that he should at least get his head of house or his friends as he wasn't supposed to be alone with the headmaster really, in favour of tutting loudly and diving into another scolding.

"Having to come fetch you, and from a prohibited lab no less-"

"Professor Slughorn said I could use it to practice for my mastery, I have a written permiss-"

"Why is it always you, Mr Snape, getting yourself and others into trouble?! Especially today of all days, to keep them waiting."

'Them?' Feeling both equally defeated and disgusted, Nikoloas allowed himself to be hauled down the corridor and up to the Headmasters gargoyle.

As McGonagall screeched the password and ushered him inside, he stumbled onto the whirling steps and felt sweat cool along his back and hairline. He grappled for his wand and blew out a shaky breath when it pressed firmly and securely into his wrist. He had barely thought to knock when Dumbledore called "Come in, Mr Snape."

It took a significant amount of courage and effort to step over the clean wooden threshold into Dumbledore's gaudish realm. He reeled back in opposition to taking the seat he was 'offered' in favor of gluing his eyes to the stern, crow-like people skulking around the fireplace.

"These are your relatives, my dear boy, from your mother's side-"

Hiding the snark of 'obviously' he wanted to make, Nikoloas nodded in wary acknowledgement of the Princes, as they were introduced, who looked like they were to undertake an unpleasant chore. Removing his heirship and the seats he had promised his father, no doubt. Well, that was going to suck.

He let those thoughts run on the backburner though all thoughts stopped when Dumbledore continued "-and they have agreed to take you in as their ward." Dumbledore beamed as Nikoloas choked. What? No he didn't need a guardian, he had his father….but than the gravity of the situation hit him. He could hardly blurt that out it would put his father in danger and sacrifice everything they'd work for.

Well now was as good a time as any to bring forth the preparation he'd put himself through to go undercover. Occlumency shields bleeped in high alert and grinded down to thick barriers that gave him a solid composure to lie through his teeth.

"I'm terribly sorry to have wasted all your times but my guardianship is not an issue. My father is still alive and well."

Nikoloas' polite and confused look seemed to, strangely, anger the Princes, though a similar rage coursed through the boy himself as Dumbledore turned around in his chair and gave a look to the Princes not unlike the ones exasperated parents gave to each other over the heads of their small children.

Dumbledore twisted back to give Nikoloas a falsely-false grandfatherly smile that makes the unease in his stomach twist like a knife. "I realize that, dear boy, however when you told me about the issues, I did listen, and thus Lord and Lady Prince will be taking over custody of you."

"My father and I have worked things out Headmaster, really, I know you must be so busy, sir, what with the Wizengamot and things, I really wouldn't want to waste your time."

His unheard plea directed to Lord Prince got him nothing more than a cool glance of disdain.

As he swiveled his blank gaze back to Dumbledore, knowing the danger in taking his eyes off the old crackpot, he glimpsed a hardening of the wrinkled blue eyes. Ooo looks like the general doesn't like a soldiers input on his plans. Than triumph coursed through Dumbledore's face for a mere second and he pulled out his trump card.

"Now, now Severus there is no reason to try be brave." He paused.

"If that is, indeed, what you are trying to achieve. The Princes have already been informed of your misdeeds, young man, so hopefully your record will be cleaned up from here on out."

Nikoloas saw white, righteous, venomous fury flutter past his eyelids on his slow, stunned blink. How dare the old man discredit him in front of strangers?! And wrongly too! Clenching his fists, so the desperation would not manifest in an attempt to lock the Headmaster in a chokehold, Nikoloas tried his last attempt, played his last hand with all the skill years of cut-throat surviving in Slytherin had bequeathed him.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this? By summer things will have died down I'm sure-" His leap to his feet was deterred by Dumbledore doing the same and interrupting with a slick "Oh no not by summer, I will gladly grant you time off your studies to settle in."

Horror dug into his shoulders like meat hooks and Dumbledore used that to propel him towards his relatives and panic sunk in as Lord Princes large calloused hand closed down on his neck like a clamping collar. His breath escaped him in a gasp as he choked "Please don't touch me, sir." and tried to squirm away as the man admonished sternly "Now none of that, boy." Old reminders and a flinch shook through him in small tremors as he struggled to tear away. Where was Tom? He wanted his father and nearly lunged away but the space was too small there wasn't a gap to squeeze through and the next thing he registered was the roar of Floo green fire as it swashed over him, drowning him like the beginnings of a tsunami.

His knees hit polished marble floor and distant, frowning portraits chattered as they peered down at him from his crouched position on the hall floor.

The Princes stepped in immediately afterwards, polished and sculpted heels clacking on the ground as they remained upright and loomed over him.

He scrambled away on his legs and knees and wind rushed through his ears and his temples throbbed with his heart's fear.

When his door was frantically hammered down by his son's two friends, talking and panicking over each other, Tom set aside the affronted spoon and banished his tea. It seems he would not get to drink that today. It was nearing dinner time anyway so he would make do.

"One at a time please."He massaged his temples as Lily took a deep breath before she snarled. "Tell me you have him squirreled away to nap somewhere or I will help you tear this castle down brick by brick looking for him."

"I assume you mean Nikoloas? He informed me, and you both, you forgetful dunderheads, that he would be brewing this weekend for the better part of the day."

"I know that." Lily leveled him with a look that made him feel like she was barely restraining from adding the 'dumbass' that she thought but never got to say as Sirius burst in with a frantic spiel.

"But he's not down there, but his potion is and we waited, right but he didn't come back but he always would cause the timer ran out and it needed to be stirred or some shit I dunno but he'd never miss it and we don't know where he is, please tell me you know?"

"Eloquent Black, truly." Tom drawled dryly even as his worry spiked up to nearly unmanageable levels. "I'm sure he'll be at dinner." He sounded more confident than he felt and, as he tucked the spoon into his inner robe pocket, the dinner bell chimed somewhat forebodingly.

The anxious group trudged to dinner and Tom felt his heart start to beat irregular little taps as Dumbledore stood up to his podium.

"We have a joyous announcement today, I'm sure you will all join me rejoicing that the troubled Mr. Snape of Slytherin House has finally been reunited with a caring family especially due to recent events. I have seen it fit to grant him time to settle in for the next few weeks, of course all the staff wish him the best of luck."

Tom felt his neck creak as he reeled back, saw Lily and Sirius reef their heads up to stare at him in confused horror, because if he was here….than where was Nikoloas? He was Nikoloas' family….what had Dumbledore done? And, more importantly, what was Tom to do now?

He felt a buzz from his robe and leant down just in time to hear a muttered "Aaaawh oh. Poor laiddy." Panic was making him shake and he felt Minerva place a hand on his arm in worry.

"Tom are you….feeling alright?" She looked quite alarmed and he followed her gaze down to where a dull silver fork was bent, almost in two, in his hand.

"Just a tad under the weather Minnie, thats all." He croaked and she patted his bicep reassuringly before digging into her dinner.

He toyed with a little of his food before giving a wain smile to Minerva and fleeing, barricading himself in his office before yanking the spoon from his robes and screaming "Alright where is he what do you know? Tell me goddamnit!"

His cheeks were flushed as he panted, his hair was tousled into disarray, and sweat beaded his upper lip as madness started to crack red into his irises.

The spoon gurgled in shock and information tumbled from it's mouth as Tom burning hot grip-literally-travelled up the handle. As Sirius and Lily's recrashing into his rooms disrupted his pacing, he twirled to face them grimly. "It's time."

"For what?" Sirius' confused face crumpled the tears on his alabaster skin as Lily readied her shoulders and set steel into her eyes.

"Phase Two." Tom opened the locked, warded and hidden drawer in his desk, his face set in a grim line.

"What the hell is that?!"

"War."


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hi guys, thanks for reading, if there's anything wrong (or right) that you notice let me know so I can fix it, I can't do so otherwise so...enjoy. In the**_ _ **homestretch**_ _ **now.**_

 **Chapter 28.**

Nikoloas flinched at the disapproving sound coming from his grandmother's lips as he adjusted the fork back to the painful and correct placement in his welt-covered hand. His back pressed uncomfortably against the chair where he leaned in an effort to "at least attempt to pretend to have some semblance to a pureblood heir".

"Hurry up and eat, boy, there's a tailor coming to finally rid you of those rags." She sniffed disdainfully at his clothes he had worn under his school robe since yesterday evening's kidnapping. Nikoloas tugged the warm jumper around him tighter, he had picked it from the piles of clothes he had stored in Tom's quarters and hence it smelled like Tom. Despite the Dark Lords grumbling that his rooms were not a storage closet for messy teenage boys, he repeatedly replaced every one of Nick's articles of clothing the second a cuff got a bit threadbare instead of just repairing it like any sane person would do. Tears stung at his already red eyes as she muttered;

"And burn them too, good riddance."

His eyes settled in an enraged glare. No, his father (with Lily's help probably-oh God Lily would be out of her mind with worry right about now not to mention Sirius) had bought him those clothes, they were _his_ , a reminder of who he was and what he'd pushed through to get the family he had.

"You should be grateful for this, really boy. What sort of name is Severus anyway what was Eileen thinking stupid girl!"

"Don't know but it certainly ain't mine." He muttered resentfully.

"Such cheek." She tutted. "Honestly, that silly girl and your ruffian of a father raised you with no manners-"

Nikoloas had had enough. Screw passivism. He was going to fight these old cronies at every turn, Merlin forbid he make their lives easy.

"He is not my father, and she may not have been my true Mother but she raised me the damn best she could so shut your mouth, you dumb, selfish, egotistical bitch."

"That is quite enough from you now." His grandfather stood from the table and it made Nikoloas tremble, the man was tall, as tall, if not taller than Tom with large hands angrily stationed on the table.

"Albus has told us you have an awful habit of lying, so blabber all you want, your opinion is worth nothing here. Children should be scarcely seen and not heard."

"Oh yeah? Is that what you told my mother, maybe its your fault she ran into the arms of the first man to actually show her a little kindness I mean real-"

His sentence stopped against his will and he cleared his throat in panic. No sound emerged from his convulsing mouth despite his best efforts and when he had screamed and screamed fruitlessly, both Princes traded solemn nods.

His unfinished dinner disappeared along with the rest of the dishes and his stomach grumbled in regret. He hadn't gone hungry since before he met Tom and he was beginning to think that was going to work against him here. Nikoloas' alarm skyrocketed as his grandmother's nails sliced his skin as he was forcibly tugged down the corridor.

Shrugging and pulling to communicate how little he liked this touch from a stranger, and not a particularly nice one at that, proved to be futile as did his wordless (and wandless since they'd robbed him of is only defense of course) Finite Incantatem.

He was manhandled into a bare room where he stumbled almost literally into the man he presumed to be the tailor, and looked up. His hair was lank and greasy, hanging in tangled dirty knots to his elbows as wrinkled fingers reached for pins and measuring tapes. A shudder overcame him as the man's ratty beady eyes bored into him with an indecipherable look that churned his empty stomach worse than the Snatchers had. Nikoloas didn't know much of what to do about his current situation but he knew for sure he did not want that man's hands on him.

Swaying on his feet in a not entirely false fainting spell, he let his body crumble slowly and heard the alarm of the adults. He smirked internally, for only a split second as a potion was shoved down his throat the next and his world spun and clouded into an unconscious muddle.

Tom had wasted no time, shovelling the papers towards Lily in an uncoordinated heap and saying "Here edit these, newspaper quality."

He stalked towards a shaking Sirius and placed his hands on the shuddering boys shoulders. "Sirius. Stay calm and focused. For Nikoloas, yeah? We're going to take Dumbledore down and get Nick back but I need you to go get Regulus for me ok?"

Sirius ran faster than a Nimbus 80 from the room just as Lily blew out a breath.

"You wrote these? I assume you're going to send them into the Prophet?" Her calm facade was holding wonderfully so he answered

"Oh yes, and since he's been dismissed from the Wizengamot, it shouldn't be too unbelievable. Especially considering its the truth."

"He was dismissed?! When? How, it wasn't in the paper!"

"Of course it wasn't, both my doing might I add, that articles in there too."

"Well you've been busy." The spoon piped up from its place on the desk. Lily looked up, glanced at it in disinterest before nicking one of his red correction quills and scribbling out his favourite sentence.

"Where'd you even get all this anyway?"

"I have ...sources." Tom said mysteriously, with just a hint of smugness.

"You had Lucius tail him for weeks on end as punishment because he was a dick to your son." An accusatory Regulus stood in the doorway before adding "My Lord."

"Stop loitering at the doorway like a vagabond." Tom snapped, his thoughts turning to his son, wondering if Nikoloas was alright. He normally had eaten and had a cup of tea with Tom by now and that probably wasn't happening wherever he was and-

"You know, for a professor, your grammar is atrocious."

"What, no you're adding apostrophes where there's no need for them!" Tom sniped back indignantly.

"Ok, ok tempers are frayed it's all alrigh'." The spoon soothed before they both yelled "Shut up!" and returned to glowering at the same article.

"You're so dramatic, you should be a romance novelist."

"It's a dramatic story! And I'll have you know, should I choose to be a romance writer I will be excellent now edit faster because we need to get Nick back goddamnit before I kill someone!"

"He's not kidding." Regulus nodded solemnly. "What did you wish for me to do My Lord?" The gravity of the situation hit everyone and any joy or humour in the room fizzled out like a match with black smoke being all that remained.

"Find Lucius and tell him to begin it. He'll know what I mean."

Regulus turned tail and ran, just as Sirius returned with bloody fists and a black eye.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Punching some Gryffindor morons." Sirius grumbled. "Potter's back soon. How fucking convenient."

"Language! And go make yourself useful."

Sirius muttered vulgarities at him through clenched teeth and started to sniff anything of Nick's, looking for something recent enough for a locator spell or potion.

When tired ink-strewn eyes met, hours later, Tom and Lily shared bitter smiles of victory.

"This is a risky move, dropping them all at once." She said softly into the evening's firelight.

"I know," he grimaced. "The plan was to leak them one by one, ruin him slower like I'd started. But we don't have time. The sooner we get him on trial the sooner I can make him fess up to where Nick is. We'll never find him another way, Goat's too crafty for that, he'll have hidden his tracks."

"They might not even get that far in the line of question though. I mean all this is pretty damning stuff, the jury might not need to go recent." Lily worried her bottom lip between her teeth, unprepared for when Tom snarled "Than I'll pry it out of him in Azkaban if I have to."

"There's so many variables though!"

Lily began to pace. "They could Kiss him on the spot for what he did to you and your family, it'll be in the saga in the Prophet so everyone will know about it…."

"Then we'll leave that one out." Tom whispered.

She looked at him pensively. "Tom...are you sure? Now people will never know what he did, he'll never receive justice for it."

"He'll receive justice enough." Tom rasped hoarsely, pulling that particular article from the neatly tied bundle.

"I own half the company, they'll print or leave out whatever at my direction."

This was doubtlessly a good thing, but as he watched the owl fly away with his articles and letter to the Chief Editor, the feeling of dread in his stomach was inexplicably strong.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Chp.29**_

 _ **Hi guys, thank you all for reading, you've no idea how much I appreciate it. Second last chapter (probably) here we goooo.**_

 _ **Give some feedback if you liked it.**_

The shrieking screech of owls sliced the morning air as every Hogwarts students looked up as one. There was a hall-wide thud as newspapers fell into the laps of all those with subscriptions, including the teachers, settled high and mighty at the staff table. The mildly interested murmurs grew into an insurmountable crescendo as 'The Life of Albus Dumbledore' saga graced everyone's vision.

Soon every judging eye in the hall was on the ashen faced Dumbledore. He was trembling with rage, his glasses askew and his long white hair lose. The old man stood and started towards a smirking Tom.

"You did this," he hissed. "You lying monster Tom."

"Albus!" Minerva placed a wrinkled hand to her dropped jaw. "Tell me it isn't true, tell me you didn't do these things."

He ignored her in favor of raising his wand to Tom's face; the murderous intent in his eyes briefly alarming the Dark Lord before his view of the insane Headmaster was blocked.

Sirius and Lily turned their shoulders to each other and pointed their wands firmly at Dumbledore's chest. "Expelliarmus!" and "Protego!" echoed through the spellbound audience as Sirius gripped the Headmasters wand in a vice grip, wanting to crush the fragile wood in his strong hand.

"Even if this doesn't rouse suspicion, you attempted to assault me, and you can't Obliviate every person here." Tom swept a long arm towards the huddled students and lowered his voice to a mock stage whisper.

"Check. Your move." A grin of all teeth barred across Tom's face.

The doors of the Great Hall smacked open, as Aurours stormed the hall, their formation chillingly lethal. They tore up the hall at breakneck speed as students screamed and launched themselves under tables.

"We'll take it from here, lad." Dawlish bit out to Sirius, his voice gruff as he wrenched the wand from the shaking boys hand.

"Leave it 'till court Albus." He advised as he petrified Dumbledore and beckoned to his team as they crept forward, surrounding the bitterly squirming Headmaster.

Nikoloas kept his head down and stared at his distorted reflection in the spotless spoon. His eyes were bloated with the dark bags above his cheekbones and the porridge dripped down into the bowl below with a steady plop.

He jerked up in alarm as his grandfather hummed curiously at the owl flapping exhaustedly towards the extravagant window. He wiped his mouth just in time to receive the descending creature. Nikoloas could empathise with the bird's discomfort as it shifted from claw to claw. He felt much the same, only heightened by how unsettled he felt in the elegant robes his grandmother, the scowling bitch, had had fitted to him by the filthy tailor. Even now, a few days later, Nikoloas felt violated and a little disgusting as a result. But seeing as his last complaint had lost him his most valued weapon-his silver tongue-he knew to pick his battles carefully.

The next thing he heard was the shocked "Oh my!" that fell from his pristine grandfathers lips.

"What is it, Augustus dear?" his grandmother asked gliding from her place at the table like a queen bat out of hell.

"Abus has been arrested. I've been summoned to the hearing, it is to be judged by the Wizengamot." The pursing of his lips only added more creases and dents to the wrinkles on his face.

Sparkles of a, perhaps crazy, idea, but his only one nonetheless exploded into a forest fire of adrenaline as Nikoloas cried. "Wait! Please. Sir." he bit his lip and looked down in the picture of submission as hardened gazes swiveled to him. It rankled, his skin prickled and his blood boiled as his pride demanded nobody but his father was to garner this sort of respect from him.

"What is it, boy?!" Augustus barked, his lip curling.

"Could….could I maybe, perhaps, come with you Sir? I've always had an interest in politics and well, I never got the chance to learn because of well, the muggle, and if...if I could truly be your heir….."

He cut himself off not wanting to appear too eager, though his own words sickened him.

The Princes looked at each other, thoughtful than triumphant. He peered through his eyelashes as victory swam before his grasp.

"A noble effort, boy. Yes I suppose you can. Go get changed into proper attire, get with you."

"Thank you ma'am." he snapped out the proper bow and lunged for the bedroom the second he was out of their beady eyeline.

Not ten minutes later, Lord Princes hand weighed down on his shoulder, the stern grip on his new Heir robes, reflecting the hissed words in his ear. "Not a word, boy. Any funny business and you will regret it."

Though the threat was hardly original, it sent shivers up his spine, and it formed a niggle of doubt in his plan.

Nikoloas inhaled two fresh breaths in rapid succession as the floo swallowed them, and they landed-tumbled in Nick's case-into the ministry's atrium.

The silence was as suffocating as his grandfather's hand, Nikoloas thought, as he desperately scanned the gossiping crowd flocking to the designated courtroom. The divide began to show when he was roughly hauled over to the Ancient and Noble houses, who's Lords traded bittersweet smiles and veiled insults. It took all Nikoloas had to stifle his relief when Lord Black caught his eye and allowed a flash of confusion to slide through his blank eyes, knowing very well that his future son-in-law had no place here, especially not without The Dark Lord.

Nikoloas swiveled his eyes to Lord Prince and ever so slowly back again to Lord Black desperation clear in his face. The place of a hardened lawyer-like man took the place of the concerned father. A slight shake of the head told him 'not yet' but he couldn't simply do nothing, his boy would be enraged at him for not helping his betrothed.

"And who is this, Augustus?"

"My….grandson. Our dear Eileen's boy."

The murmurs increased but thankfully didn't get much louder, as the doors creaked open and were near crushed by the people eager to get to the 'trial of the century.' The opulent chairs were hard and uncomfortable, and Nikoloas shifted in a desperate attempt to find comfort. It only earned a pinch in the side but a small smile from Lord Black who sidled up to claim his seat, mercifully close to Nikoloas' own place.

As the gavel was banged by the newly appointed Minister Bagnold, the harsh sound echoed obnoxiously throughout the chamber and Nikoloas could think of nothing else but the nerves clogging his larynx. He had spent so much time on edge over the last week he'd been with the Princes that it was a knee-jerk reaction now to flinch and it seemed ironically appropriate, in the back of his mind, that he did so as Dumbledore was led in and slammed into the chain-twined chair.

Hisses spread through the jury-acting Wizengamot and Nikoloas was surprised to note some of them were clearly vindictively aimed at the bearded lout before them.

They become sparse and fritted out as The Minister cleared her throat and said "Court has gathered this morning to deliberate the accused's participation in several allegations of child endangerment, professional misconduct and neglect of protocol."

As Dumbledore's lawyer stepped forward, Nikoloas rolled his eyes and barely withheld a scoff. The simpering fool of a spineless man was so far in Dumbledore's pocket he'd have better luck climbing out of Tartarus. His opening speech was as pathetic as he was and a victorious cackle bubbled up in Nikoloas' stomach. Oh bringing up "the children" was a bad idea considering the charges. Was this guy for serious? As the stuttering blessfully ceased Nikoloas grimaced and tugged lightly on his grandfather's sleeve.

"Who appointed him that moron? Dumbledore would hardly let that buffoon represent him if it was up to him."

His grandfather scowled-he did a lot when Nikoloas was around-yet answered his question nonetheless.

"Albus has never seen fit to get himself a lawyer so Lucius, the slimy bastard, was in charge of appointing him one. He's killing us!"

Nikoloas chose not to voice the joy he felt at this.

"My client pleads not guilty as the evidence is merely record and as there are no witnesses present-"

"The statements are pretty damning, we have pensieve memories as well as concrete evidence so in this instance, as you should well know, Mr Diggory, we do not need witnesses." The judges voice was laced with steel so cold it brought frostbite and Nikoloas nodded in respect. Minister Bagnold was a fair woman, brutally unbiased and it seemed her reputation proceeded her.

As Diggory blathered on, Nick blew out a breath. It was now or never.

"...and as you can see Madam, there are no Hogwarts students amongst the jury in this private trial, as per my clients request and rights."

"Come now," Nikoloss chuckled as he stood, his masks giving him faux confidence. "I didn't think I looked that old."

The man paled but quickly blustered on "And, if the court permits it, what do you have to say in defense of your Headmaster, young man?"

A dark, brief laugh, almost a giggle, escaped Nikoloas' wide lips as he grinned. "Oh I'm not on the side of the defense, Minister. May I?"

She granted his request with a tired wave of her hand and a low murmur of "Well this trial is going to shambles anyway," before louder, "You're details for the record please, Heir Prince."

"My name is Severus Snape, I'm a sixth year student at Hogwarts. And I have noted, myself, a few...less then ideal behaviors from Headmaster Dumbledore." The jury looked horrified as he spoke of all the wrongs he'd been dealt.

It seems Dumbledore could hold his grandfatherly light image no more. A flurry of rage burst from his wrinkled mouth as he leapt to his feet, his agility for his age shocking the masses. "You hold your tongue, child. I always knew you were a petulant, ungrateful brat! I should have left you with that disgraceful muggle to rot!"

Despite his instinctual want to hide his flinch he let it through, knowing that revealing his anguish would, for once, only help his case.

"You should be thanking me, you evil little traitor. I could have helped you, who will you turn to when they leave you? You were bound for the dark road, it's in your blood, boy!" With his rant quelled by the frantic team of Aurors, Nikoloas was left to feel the wrath of his grandfathers blazing gaze upon him. And so, Nikoloas gave his best performance yet, expertly playing the part of a young boy nervously telling the scary court how his headmaster had forced him into Guardianship against his will when he had no right to do so. He was oh, so, tempted to add that it was the Prince's current guardianship but figured the risk outweighed the reward. Even as vague as he left it, his story combined with Dumbledore's words of his muggle father added another solid nail to the smoldering coffin.

For once, Nikoloas didn't care about the consequences, didn't care that the man would flay him alive later on, he knew-as he heard the disgusted judge add Child Abuse the charges with an enraged flourish-that Dumbledore was going down for this. They'd won, his father had won. Now maybe that would be enough to make him proud, to make Nick worth it. A smile settled on his face as he raised his head high to enjoy the proceedings.

Soon Nikoloas, and the other Wizengamot people grew bored and irritated as Diggory flailed helplessly and half heartedly in the stuffy room. Even his most coherent sentence did not hold up as the judge doled out statement after statement, each showing proof of how Dumbledore had allowed unvetted strangers to roam the hall for his little Order tea parties, the unvetted and unqualified teachers he allowed to teach their children, and past children, the numbers of better applicants he had turned down. As Nikoloas added his own two cents and confirmed the scandalous newspaper tale of his near miss with Lupins wolf form and Dumbledore's subsequent cover up, outraged gaps filled the room as whispers and pitied glances were flung his way.

Nick was beginning to suspect more and more that Tom had had a hand in the news articles that had raised suspicion, this was starting to sound personal. It was beginning to paint a bleak headmasters portrait for Dumbledore.

There was tangible excitement as Diggory whimpered his surrender and the judge turned to the Wizengamot for sentencing. Glad to be included in the chattering huddle by Lord Black and reassured by a shaky smile from Lucius, who could not look him in the eye, Nikoloas could almost ignore the winding, sickly magic of Lord Prince slipping up his skin and as it reached his mouth he hissed "Bite me, you senile old tosser." before it silenced him with a burning slap to the tongue and throat as his voice was stripped from him again.

Pride filled Nikoloas, through the pain, as Lucius called out an, clear and crisp and damning "The Wizengamot has decided on a 20 year sentence in Azkaban prison with his wand snapped and magic bound, Minister, for Albus Dumbldores crimes against the Wizarding World and it's children to whom he was sworn to protect." Lucius finished his snappy speech with a bow to the thunderous applause.

Nikoloas' celebratory joy was cut short as his grandfather hauled him from the courtroom and into an alcove in a furious hale of snapping robes. "You're going to regret that, boy. You will be in a world of pain-" as he brought his wand to a defiant Nikoloas' chin, a sauve voice cut off his threat.

"I should rather think not." Lord Black stood cold and imposing in the doorway and heisted his own wand further into his duelling grip before he spoke again. "You will not touch a hair on that boy's head." and as Lord Prince turned fully around to face the threat, he spoke to Nikoloas. "Off you go, lad, I'm sure my son's awfully worried by now."

Stamping his foot down hard on Lord Prince's foot with all the hate he could muster, and relishing in the resulting yowl of pain, Nikoloas took his chance and tore from the room, giving Lord Black a jaunty wave as he skipped by, into the awaiting Floo, mere steps from his family's arms.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hi guys so...this is it last chapter, Filius Tenebris is officially over. Thank you for all the hits and comments. I will be writing a one-shot series at some point but I probably won't post that so...yeah. Thanks. Enjoy**_

 _ **Chp. 30**_

Bright emerald flames swallowed him whole like the roaring rage of a Welsh Green as he was pushed and yanked this way and that whilst desperately trying to shout Hogwarts. His magic was straining, his core draining and his eyes burning as the Floo finally seen fit to spit him out.

He tumbled and coughed as one as a screamed sob assaulted his ears. Red was the only thing he seen before he could scarcely breath for all the pressure his father was putting into the hug. A hand that was definitely Sirius' was stroking his hair soothingly as Lily grasped his hand as he cried.

'Dad-' he tried to hiccup and let them know of his voiceless condition but Tom just rocked him back and forth as he gasped out a shuddering breath.

"You've been so brave, sweetheart so strong it's over now it's over, Daddy's here hushushhush." He nodded gleefully into Tom's chest than turned his head to Sirius who pressed warm lips to his own immediately.

"Love you, baby." he smiled that crooked grin that had brought countless girl's and boys to their knees as he ran a finger down Nikoloas' wet cheek.

"What happened Nick?" Lily's eyes fluttered in concern as she crouched down to join their floor huddle.

He tapped his throat impatiently and Tom's eyes burned in anger. "Who dared-"

Nikoloas wriggled to freedom and put his hands parallel on either side of his head.

"King? No, Crown? Oh Prince? The Prince's?" Sirius guessed wildly at Nikoloas' frantic nod.

"Damn that dude was always such a smarmy dick, so far up Dumbledore's' arse." The older boy growled and Tom pressed a kiss to his head.

"I'm so sorry, Nikoloas truly. I will never let anything happen to you again I swear I-"

Nikoloas shook his head firmly and gave a small glare to his father's distraught face.

"Tell you what, why don't you shower and eat and change into actual clothes and we'll find the counter curse?"

Lily always was full of good ideas. He nodded and the ragtag group pushed up off the floor as Nikoloas looked around his father's rooms in exalted delight.

An hour later he cuddled into the blanket, drinking soup and hugging Sirius simultaneously, whilst Tom paced and raided his library without taking his eyes from Nikoloas. Lily continued to stroke his hair as they exchanged sleepy smiles.

He could have sobbed in relief with every kiss Sirius pressed into his forehead, with every page yanked from his father's smouldering grasp, and every snipe and snark his family exchanged.

As lightning struck in the form of an idea he bolted up and dug under the seat for his mother's notebook, and after waving unsuccessfully, just chucked it at his father's head. Dark Lordish reflexes meant he caught it before the corner scraped his head, with a heatless glare.

"Oh. You smart, smart boy." He gave Nick a glowing smile before thumbing through the book until he found one of his wife's spells he could play around with to create a cure for a Prince secret spell.

He nervously pointed his wand at Nick who, with the utmost faith,gave him a wide grin, full of childish innocence and openness.

"Reditus Vox!"

Nikoloas gave a cough and open and closed his mouth before turning and looking utterly dismayed. Tom muttered in disbelief, running hand through his now greasy hair with a deep sigh.

"Relax, Dad I was kidding." Tom whirled round, to glare at a smirking Nikoloas as Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, relax Pops." Sirius broke down in giggled, landing on the floor and pulling a laughing Nikoloas down too.

"I love you too by the way." Nikoloas whispered, when their noses touched.

"Still right here, you know." Tom drawled.

"Yeah jeez my eyes boys." Lily muttered.

They shared a sweet silence before Tom rolled his shoulders lose.

"Right kiddos I'm off to do Dark Lord things, so-"

"Ooooo hey I wanna come!"

"I'm in!"

"Oh dear I guess I'm going by default. Someone has to keep you knuckleheads outta trouble."

Tom opened and closed his mouth like a fish, as the children left to conduct Dark Lord business. Without the Dark Lord. For how else would you do it?

Azkaban wind whipped his grey hair through his cloak and Augustus shivered. It was bloody cold out here. He hissed in frustration as he stalked towards the cell that contained the once almighty Albus Dumbledore. Even the few days that Augustus had spend in Saint Mungos after his humiliating duel with the Black Lord, had been enough to shrivel and beat down Dumbledore.

He was gaunt and haggard looking in a way that his age had never previously shown but he looked every bit his century plus some, cowering in a tiny cell.

"It's over Albus." Augustus said mournfully.

"No," Dumbledore hissed. "It is not, not yet. I will tear their happy family down if it's the last thing I do!"

His enraged scream made him seem quite insane as it echoed through the dreary halls of the metal fortress.

 _ **Epilogue**_

Sirius ran back and forth, yelping and panicking, checking and rechecking their bags as Lily groaned, one hand wrapped around her engorged stomach.

"I need your toothbrush, my toothbrush, the babys-wait no! Oh gods I'm not ready for you to have this baby Lily!" He beseeched her, as Nick and his sister ignored him.

"For Merlin's sake, Sirius, he's coming now!" She bit out as another contraction sliced at her.

Nikoloas hauled her up and they staggered into the Floo together, Sirius leaping in afterwards.

Nikoloas thought his hands would never resume their shape again, but the balding cry of a yowling baby pierced the air he found he didn't mind that nor Sirius' idiotic babbling of how "Really Tom should be Godfather, then he coulda been the Tomfather but noooo it had to be us…."

As Lily smiled and cried, cradling the babe to her chest.

"Here, Nick, you wanna hold 'im?"

He took the precious blanketed bundle and rocked him slowly in awe.

"What's his name?" He whispered, spellbound by the sleepily blinking green eyes.

"Harry. His name is Harry."


End file.
